The unbelievers sought to kill Jesus (pbuh). And even though God foiled their plot, an
environment in which they imagined that they had been successful was created. They were
unable to kill or crucify Jesus (pbuh), and were shown a double in his place. Therefore,
those who maintain that Jesus (pbuh) was killed are only speculating. In his commentary,
al-Tabari stated that the unbelievers have no sure information about this event:
The fact that they have doubts shows that the unbelievers did not achieve their goal.
Had they really killed Jesus (pbuh), there would be no room for doubt and they would be
certain that they had succeeded. Let us consider this with an example. Someone who opens
fire in order to kill someone else will know whether the intended victim has actually been
killed or not. Alternatively, there needs to be very exceptional circumstances for there
to be any doubt about whether someone condemned to death has actually died. If there is
doubt, something out of the ordinary must have occurred. Those who had sought to kill
Jesus (pbuh) would have felt no doubt as to whether they had succeeded or not. However,
our Lord reveals that they did have such doubts, were only speculating, and had no certain
information. This is one of the proofs that Jesus (pbuh) did not die but was raised alive
to God's presence.
In their commentaries on this verse, Islamic scholars point out that these words
represent an extraordinary revelation of God's might and wisdom. For example, Fakhr al-Din
al-Razi said:
Hasanayn Muhammad Mahluf cited Prophet Muhammad's (may God bless him and grant him
peace) ascent to heaven and stated:
Other Islamic scholars opined that Jesus (pbuh) did not die and could not be killed,
and that he is alive in God's presence. Some of their comments are given below:
Omer Nasuhi Bilmen: "They do not definitively believe that Jesus
(pbuh) was killed. Such guesswork and speculation have no value. God openly declares the
true facts in the Qur'an, saying that He used His divine might to raise this blessed
prophet, alive, to the heavens. For those who look at the greatness of the divine might
and its manifestation in the universe, with millions of creations, with the eye of the
heart, it is impossible to regard the raising of a glorious prophet, in body and soul, to
the highest levels, as an untrustworthy account."(Omer Nasuhi
Bilmen, Kuran-i Kerim’in Türkce Meali Alisi ve Tefsiri (The Turkish Translation of
the Noble Qur’an and Its Commentary), 2:702)
Hasanayn Muhammad Mahluf: "The belief of Muslims is this: Jesus
(pbuh) was neither crucified nor killed, but was raised alive in body and soul to the
heavens. He will continue to live in the heavens for as long as God so wills…"(Mahluf, Fetava Seriyye, 1:92-93)
Imam Zahid al-Kawthari: "The Jews intended to physically kill
Jesus (pbuh), but God confounded their aim by rescuing the body of Jesus (pbuh) and
raising him to His presence. In order to refute the Jews' claim, this ascension must have
been a physical one…"(Al-Kawthari, Nazra ‘Abira fi
Maza’im, 32-33)
Hamdi Yazir of Elmali: "Those who differ on this issue are
definitely in a state of doubt and have no knowledge in this regard. They have engaged in
speculation. However, those who said that they killed Jesus (pbuh) certainly did not kill
him. Therefore, it is a lie for them to boast of killing and murder. That is because the
judgment depends on the intention behind a deed. The aim behind their initiative to kill
never transpired."(Yazir, Hak Din Kuran Dili, 3:1516-19)
Al-Qurtubi: "The interpretation of the verse is: 'I shall raise
you to Myself without you dying, cleanse you from the blasphemers, and kill you after your
descent from the heavens.'"(Al-Qurtubi, al-Jami‘ li Ahkam
il-Qur’an, (Cairo : 1967), 4:99)
Taken from http://www.harunyahya.com/books/faith/did_not_die/jesus_did_not_die_04.php
Jesus' (pbuh) Followers Will Be
Superior to the Unbelievers
In addition to revealing that Jesus (pbuh) did not die, Qur'an 3:55 also says that he
will come to Earth again:
When God said: "Jesus, I will take you back and raise you up to
Me, and purify you of those who do not believe. And I will place the people who follow
you above those who do not believe until the Day of Resurrection. Then you will all
return to Me, and I will judge between you regarding the things about which you
differed." (Qur'an, 3:55)
In this verse, God reveals the existence of a group of people who will sincerely follow
Jesus (pbuh) and who will be superior to the unbelievers until the Day of Resurrection.
The number of his followers during his lifetime was very small, and the message that he
brought underwent a rapid degeneration after his ascension to God. Throughout the next two
centuries, his followers, who came to be known as Christians, were subjected to severe
persecution and had no political power. Therefore, it is out of the question to say that
the Christians living at the time were superior to the unbelievers and that they are the
ones being referred to in this verse.
Over the intervening centuries, Christianity moved away from its essence and turned
into a different religion. Christians adopted two mistaken beliefs: Jesus (pbuh) was the
son of God (God is surely beyond that.) and the Trinity (the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Ghost [or Holy Spirit]). Given this, we cannot regard present-day Christians as those who
will follow Jesus (pbuh) in the End Times, because God reveals in several verses that
those who believe in the Trinity are actually unbelievers:
Those who say that God is the third of three are unbelievers. There is
no deity but the One God. (Qur'an, 5:73)
That being the case, the expression "I will place the people who follow you
above those who do not believe until the Day of Resurrection" has a very clear
meaning: There needs to be a community that will follow Jesus (pbuh) and exist until the
Day of Resurrection. Such a community will emerge when Jesus (pbuh) returns. At that time,
his followers will be made superior to the unbelievers until the Day of Resurrection. (God
knows best.) Another verse that supports this reads:
O you who believe! Be helpers of God, as Jesus son of Mary said to the
Disciples: "Who will be my helpers to God?" The Disciples said: "We will be
the helpers of God." One faction of the Children of Israel believed and the other did
not. So, We supported those who believed against their enemy, and they became
victorious. (Qur'an, 61:14)
It appears from the above verse that during Jesus' (pbuh) lifetime, some people did not
have faith. The last part of the verse; "… so We supported those who
believed against their enemy, and they became victorious," gives news of a time
when those who believe in Jesus (pbuh) will be superior. In all likelihood, this period is
the time of Jesus' (pbuh) second coming. During this time, Jesus (pbuh) will make the true
religion prevail and the believers superior to the unbelievers. (God knows best.)
A Look at the Bible
Paul Versus the Disciples
Introduction
It is a common
misconception amongst Christians that Paul and the Apostles of Christ were unanimous in
their preaching of a crucified Jesus. Christians think that the apostles and Paul were
preaching the same doctrine and everyone believed in the divine Jesus who came to be
crucified for the sins of the world. However, if one examines the bible carefully, that
person would observe that Paul and the disciples were not preaching the same doctrine and
did not believe in the same Jesus.
The
Apostles in Jerusalem heard that Paul has been preaching a different doctrine in Galatia
and Corinthia. Paul was telling them not to follow the law anymore and that they
don’t have to eat kosher meat anymore or to be circumcised (according to Genesis
17::14, the covenant is broken if there is no circumcision) etc. So the Apostles went to
Galatia and Corinthia and convinced everyone that Paul is wrong, when Paul heard about
this he went straight back to the cities………
Galatians 1:6
6I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one
who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel
It says different Gospel, so obviously the
disciples were teaching them a different doctrine and it was not just minor issues.
Galatians 2:11-21
Paul Opposes Peter
11When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his
face, because he was clearly in the wrong. 12Before certain men came from
James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back
and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the
circumcision group. ( why did people such as the Apostle James still
believe that the law regarding food should still be applied? If Jesus came to replace the
law, then why are they still following the law?) 13The other Jews
joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. (so, Peter, James and Barnabas are wrong?)
14When
I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in
front of them all, "You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew.
How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?
15"We who are Jews by birth and not
'Gentile sinners' 16know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but
by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be
justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no
one will be justified. ( why are they arguing over following the law
or not? Why are they not in agreement of doctrine?)
17"If,
while we seek to be justified in Christ, it becomes evident that we ourselves are sinners,
does that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! 18If I rebuild what I
destroyed, I prove that I am a lawbreaker. 19For through the law I died to the
law so that I might live for God. 20I have been crucified with Christ and I no
longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the
Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21I do not set aside the
grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for
nothing!"[d]
Paul condemns all Jewish Christians
including Peter and Barnabas. We only have Paul’s side of the story but Peter’s
recollection of this story is not given to us in the New Testament.
Peter truly would have known Jesus better
than Paul. There is dispute whether 1 Peter is a letter written by Peter and almost all
scholars, ancient and modern agree that 2 Peter is not a letter written by Peter.
Acts 4:31
31After they prayed, the place where they were
meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of
God boldly.
If Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit
then why is Paul calling Peter a hypocrite for eating with the Gentiles and then when
people came from James he got up. James is Jesus’ half brother, he lived and stayed
with Jesus. Why did he still think that people have to eat kosher meat? We don’t have
any account of Peter’s story regarding this incident. Barnabas is also called a
hypocrite in verse 13. Look how in verses 15 thought 17 Paul is arguing with them about
the law. That means the disciples wanted to follow the law and suggested following it.
Otherwise Paul wouldn’t have mentioned it. How could he say those things to Peter and
look what Jesus said about Peter.
Matthew 16:18
8And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I
will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
Paul said in Romans that all food is clean.
Romans 14:20
20Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of
food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone
else to stumble.
In the Book of Acts the Apostles wrote a
letter to the gentiles to abstain from certain foods and that not all foods were declared
clean
Acts 15:29
29You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from
blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to
avoid these things. Farewell.
Galatians 3:1-3
1You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your
very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2I would like to
learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by
believing what you heard? 3Are you so foolish?
Obviously we have people that are
disagreeing with him. If Jesus taught that the law is over clearly, then people would not
be arguing over this.
2 Corinthians 11:4-5
4For if someone comes to you and preaches a
Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one
you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily
enough. 5But I do not think I am in the least inferior to those
"super-apostles."
This is all doctrine and again he is
criticizing the disciples.
2 Corinthians 11: 22-24
What anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking as a
fool—I also dare to boast about. 22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they
Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham's descendants? So am I. 23Are they
servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked
much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed
to death again and again. 24Five times I received from the Jews the forty
lashes minus one.
Again he is comparing himself to the
disciples. If this man were truly doing all this work for God, he would not be complaining
about his pain and torturing and suffering. If he is truly sincere he would not have
mentioned those things. Prophets and messengers never complained and boasted about their
sufferings.
Conclusion
So it is
clear from the Bible it self that not everyone believed in the Jesus who came to get
crucified for the sins of the world and to replace the law. That there were different
amongst the Apostles and Paul. The Apostles stuck to the true teachings of Jesus, which
was upholding the law and that the Apostles who lived with Jesus know him better than Paul
who never even saw Jesus except in a "vision". The only deceiver here was Paul
and not Allah.
Recommended
readings
http://www.justgivemethetruth.com/paul_was_a_deceiver.htm
http://www.comparative-religion.com/articles/pauline_conspiracy/
