WAIT IN JERUSALEM.....
And as to my other statement that Jesus (pbuh) wanted his followers to restrict their domain of activity to Jerusalem till Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) arrived, it is contained in verse 47 to 49 of Luke 24.
The instructions of Jesus (pbuh) to his disciples in the preceding verse (Mark 16:15) : “Go you into all the world, and preach the GOSPEL to every creature”, is to be seen in the above context. The gospel (good news) he wants them to preach to every creature is the gospel of the coming of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his nation of believers who will cast out devils in the name of the God, speaking new tongue.
As distinct from the above instruction to go forth into all the world for preaching a limited gospel, he asks them to wait in Jerusalem till the arrival of Muhammad (pbuh), in order to be empowered to preach “repentance and remission” - the prerequisite for reform in Islaam - among all nations.
Let us study the verses from Luke 24: 47.
" 47. And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
48. And you are witnesses of these things.
49. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: But tarry you in the City of Jerusalem, until you be endued with power from on high. "
“ tarry until you get power from on high” : Jesus’ parting advice, just before his ascension to heaven, would indeed constitute the most important advice for his followers.
Further elaboration of this advice is found in The Acts 1:5, 7 & 8:
" 5. For John truly baptized with water; but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
7. It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father has put in his own power.
8. But you shall receive power, after that the holy ghost is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Ju-dae'-a, and in Sa-ma-ria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. "
With the help of the above verses, we know that the condition imposed to stay in Jerusalem till they receive power is removed in the following manner and then they can be witnesses to Jesus(pbuh) both in Jerusalem and in the uttermost part of the earth :
first: " you shall receive power " ; then: " after that the holy ghost is come upon you " ; and: “ you shall be witnesses unto me unto the uttermost part of the earth, besides Jerusalem, Ju-dae’-a and Sa-ma-ria.”
The tidings “you shall receive power” can be attributed to the arrival/ birth of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the prediction of the coming of holy ghost is to be taken as the bringing of the message and guidance to him by the holy ghost, Archangel Gabriel. Only after these things take place they were allowed to preach in other parts of the world, besides Jerusalem.
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is described in Qur’aan as the one “Mighty (Powerful), established in the presence of the Lord of the Throne.” (81:20) Thus the followers of Jesus Christ were ordained to restrict their preaching to Jerusalem, till the arrival of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), the one with power, “and after that the holy ghost is come upon you” which refers to the conferment of prophethood to Muhammad (pbuh), who was prophesied earlier to “guide you into all truth” in John 16:13, and then “you can be witness unto me all over the earth”.
The likeness of this in our daily life is: when you apply for a car-driving licence, the authorities first give you a learner’s licence for some period, say three months, restricting that you should not drive the vehicle beyond your locality, while you hold this licence. Then, after you get good practice you get a permanent driver’s licence and then you can drive the vehicle in all places.
When Jesus(pbuh) himself has said that ?
- HIS TARGET-AUDIENCE IS LIMITED, “ I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Matthew 15:24) NOT THE WHOLE WORLD,
- HIS MESSAGE IS INCOMPLETE, “I have yet many things to say unto you” (John 16:12)
- THE FINAL PROPHET WILL GUIDE YOU INTO ALL TRUTH, "When he, the spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13)
naturally, his followers had to wait till they get the ‘power’ to go all over the world, till they know the many things Jesus(pbuh) had to say and till the spirit of truth guides them into all truth.
Now that the final prophet has come and he has guided you into all truth, accept his guidance and go you unto the uttermost part of the world, and be you witness to Jesus(pbuh), proclaim that he had already given you the glad tidings of the arrival of the last prophet ; and preach Islam, which has repentance and remission of sins as its important features, ( avoiding the invented theory of ‘original sin’), among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You have indeed received the requisite power from on high.
The concordance to the verse of Mark 16:17 would have us believe that the signs of believers given therein “In my name shall they cast out devils and they shall speak with new tongues” already took place as described in the verses of Acts 2, given briefly below:
After the ascension of Jesus (pbuh), in Jerusalem, there was a sudden sound and cloven tongues as of fire on pentecost day and everyone present was filled with holy ghost and they began to speak other tongues. Everyone was confounded because of this: people of different nationalities speaking in one tongue. They were all amazed, and were in doubt, wondering what is this. Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. But Peter stands up and says they are not drunken but it is fulfillment of the prophecy spoken by prophet Joel, when God said: It shall come to pass in the last days, I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and daughters shall prophesy and your servants and handmaidens shall prophesy, etc.
The prediction of Mark 16:17 can not be said to refer to such a weird and temporary phenomenon which one of the witnesses to the act attributed to new wine among the affected followers; but it is the phenomenon lasting since the days of Muhammad(pbuh) till today, in that the muslim believers speaking different languages cast out the devil in the name of Allaah, in a tongue new/foreign to them, that is, Arabic. Bible is precise in its prediction: “These signs shall follow the believers....”. It doesn’t say: “These signs will occur to the believers ...” but rather “FOLLOW”, wherever and whenever they are...... And, thus, you see the fulfillment: The sign follows the believers: They cast out the devil in His name and they speak with new tongue.
However, when some people said that the followers were affected by new wine, Peter says that it is not new wine but it is the fulfillment of a prediction in Joel 2 : 28 - 32, which foretells that in the last days everyone shall prophesy, including your slaves. But, again, that prophecy actually applies to the Muslim Ummah, the Muslim Nation, whose members have been given the charge and responsibility of propagating the God’s word unto the people.
Allaah says in the Holy Qur’aan : 3:110. “You are the best community that has been raised up for mankind. You enjoin right conduct and forbid indecency; and you believe in Allaah.”
This is what the verses 28 and 29 of Joel 2 predict:
28. And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.
29. And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
Thus, we have so far seen how the bible and Jesus’ utterances have been supportive of and predicting about the rise of Muhammad (pbuh), and through him the belief Islaam and the believing nation of Muslims to which his followers are required to join. These constitute enough evidence for a heart inclined towards the truth. If anyone chooses to ignore the truth, after he recognises it, he himself is the loser.
In Qur'aan, Allaah has promised that Islaam will prevail over all religions. In Bible, too, Allaah has said:
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto My words which he shall speak in My name, I will require it of him. " ( Deuteronomy, 18 : 19 )
It is better to voluntarily listen to what the prophet speaks in the God's name and follow him, rather than being forced by the Lord to follow His words.
In the name of God, the most beneficent, the most merciful.
JESUS, A MUSLIM, WAS NEITHER KILLED, NOR CRUCIFIED:
We have seen that Jesus (pbuh) greeted his disciples like a Muslim, by saying: “Peace be unto you”, when he appeared before them after his so-called ‘resurrection’ (John 20:19). Muslims use the same words to greet, (but in Arabic): Assalaamu Alaikum.
We have also seen that the utterances of Jesus have been supportive of and predicting about the rise of Muhammad (pbuh), and through him the belief Islaam and the believing nation of Muslims, to which his followers are required to join.
In John 16: 12 & 13, Jesus says:
“I have yet many things to say unto you,
but you cannot bear them now.
Howbeit when he, the spirit of truth, is come,
he will guide you into all truth; ”
In an earlier article, we have seen that this prophecy by Prophet Jesus (pbuh) refers to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), whose arrival his followers were directed to await. The many things that Jesus would have liked to tell his followers have not been told to them, not because Jesus did not know them, but only because his followers were not ready to bear them at that time: “..... but you cannot bear them now.”
When Jesus (pbuh) states “you cannot bear them now”, it only refers to his followers and does not include himself, because he did not say: “WE cannot bear them now”.
Since Jesus didn't count himself among them in this matter, it means he was able to bear them: the guidance that the expected prophet will bring. He was aware of them and he was ready to bear them. But did he follow in action what he knew and was ready for? Yes. He did much of what a Muslim would do and is expected to do. In fact, this begins to happen even while he anticipates arrest by the Roman rulers.
He comes to know that he will be betrayed by one of his disciples, Judas, into the hands of the Jews, who intended to kill him. Apart from this, the other thing that makes him sorrowful is that he was expecting to do many things that a Muslim does. He was looking forward to the joy of doing all those things; but now his end is staring on the face. He tells his disciples:
“My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch.”
(Mark 14:34)
The one thing that he can surely do, before he is arrested, is to pray to the Lord as a Muslim prays. So he prays like a Muslim and does prostration (Sajda), touching his forehead to the ground.
“And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed....” (Matthew 26:39) What is his prayer to the Lord? The verse (Matthew 26:39) continues: “...saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as you will.”
(We learn from Qur'aan that Jesus, as a child, said from his cradle: "He said: ' I am indeed a servant of Allah: He hath given me revelation and made me a prophet ; And He has made me blessed wheresoever I be, and has enjoined on me Prayer and Charity as long as I live. ' " (19: 30-31))
Mark 14:36 says about his prayer: “And he said, Abba, Father, all things [are] possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what you will.”
Luke 22:42 says about Jesus’ prayer: “Saying, Father, if you be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but your, be done.”
The common thing observed from the above verses is: Jesus (peace be upon him) prays to the Lord to save him from the anticipated persecution at the hands of the Jews; yet not as Jesus wishes but as the Lord wills. Do you realize what Jesus is stating at this moment ? He subdues his wishes and submits himself to the will of Allaah. In other words, Jesus declares his Islam, submission, in those statements.
As already explained in Article 1 in this series: A Muslim is one who has submitted to the will of Allaah. Islam means submission (to the will of Allaah), while it also means Peace. Thus, by declaring his submission to the will of Allaah, Jesus declared himself to be a Muslim.
It was also mentioned in Chapter 2 that Jesus (pbuh), as also the other prophets before him, called themselves ‘Muslims’.
But, then, why their followers were not named as ‘Muslims’, too ?
If the followers of the different other prophets were also to be called as ‘Muslims’, then there would have been confusion in distinguishing between the true Muslims (who believe in all the prophets) and the followers of other prophets (who believe in some prophets and disbelieve in the rest). Belief in all the messengers of Allaah is a basic requirement to be called a Muslim. Allaah tells the Muslims in Qur’aan :
“ Say ( O Muslims ) : We believe in Allaah and that which is revealed unto us and that which was revealed unto Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the tribes, and that which Moses and Jesus received, and that which the Prophets received from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and unto Him we have surrendered. ” (2:136)
Thus, Jesus (pbuh) practised Islaam, i.e., Submission
and he got Islaam, i.e., Peace. How ?
The Bible tells us in Luke 22:43
“ And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.”
This is in appreciation of his act of Submission and as an answer to his prayers. The Bible just says that the angel strengthened him. Surely, he was not lacking in physical strength at that moment but what he needed most desperately was solace and assurance from the Lord that he would be saved from the arrest and wanted the freedom to perform the things he wanted to do as a Muslim.
So, Jesus the Muslim (peace be upon him) had prayed in ARABIC: “Yaa Ilaahi, Yaa Ilaahi, Lima Sabaqtanee ? ”. Does the phrase sound familiar ? Yes, this is what he asked the Lord at that moment. “O my Lord, O my Lord, Why have you advanced me (in my end) ? ”
Since he wished to do important things which a Muslim must do while he is still alive, the threatened end troubles him. So his prayer: “ O my Lord, O my Lord, Why have you ADVANCED ME ? ”
Having not understood what he said, but actually having misunderstood what he said, the writers of the Gospel shifted these words into a situation where it fitted according to their understanding and scheme. The prayer has thus been misunderstood and then quoted out of context.
He did not utter such words at the cross, where he was never taken. They say that Jesus said: "Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachtani? that is to say: My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? "(Matthew 27:46)
The above statement attributed to Jesus is totally wrong, because:
1. God will never forsake His messenger.
2. Jesus, who submits himself to the will of the Lord, will never utter such a
word.
(Please refer to the three verses quoted above: Matthew 26:39, Mark 14:36 and Luke 22:42)
The prayer of Jesus (pbuh) did not go unanswered, but was answered through the angel which appeared, in order to strengthen him. Luke 22:43 : “ And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.”
What message did the angel carry from the Lord, in reply to Jesus’ question: “ O my Lord, O my Lord, Why have you advanced me ? ”
Let us turn to Qur’aan, 3:55 :
“When Allaah said: O Jesus ! I will complete you(r term)
and cause you to ascend unto Me
and cleanse you of those who disbelieve...”
Allaah assures that Jesus will be saved from the Jews and that his term and what is destined for him is guaranteed for him and that Allaah will cause Jesus to ascend unto Him. The Bible agrees that Jesus ascended unto heaven (Luke 24:51), but the main dispute is about what happened in between: the alleged crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus (pbuh).
Allaah says in Qur’aan that they neither killed him nor crucified him, but it was made to appear so unto them. In many places in Qur’aan, it has been mentioned that Jews used to kill the prophets unjustly. But in the case of Jesus (pbuh) it vehemently denies that they killed him or that they crucified him. This is because Qur’aan will not contain anything except truth.
Sura 4, Verses 157 & 158:
“and their saying : we killed christ Jesus, son of Mary, The messenger of Allaah
- but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but it was made to appear to them so;
and those who disagree concerning it are full of doubts;
they have no knowledge thereof save pursuit of a conjecture;
For surely they killed him not; but Allaah took him up unto Himself;
and Allaah is ever mighty, wise.”
The Muslim belief is that Allaah changed the face of the person who betrayed Jesus, showing to the rulers the place where he was hiding, into a face resembling Jesus. So, they crucified that betrayer instead of Jesus.
Let us now do a deeper study of the above verses of Qur’aan, so that we may be rightly guided into the truth. Allaah says in Qur’aan not only that Jesus was not killed, but also that he was not crucified, either. Those who do not accept the truth or those who accept only a part of the truth will never get at the truth.
As a result,
1. those who wish to prove that Jesus was crucified, but did not die at the cross; and
2. those who believe that Jesus was crucified and killed at the cross,
have equally failed to convince and provide clear-cut answers to the many points that beg a solution.
Allaah has said: “......and those who disagree concerning it are full of doubts.”
Those who disagree that he was neither killed nor crucified, are full of doubts.
So, before proceeding with our study, let us not disagree and let us not be in doubt any more. But let us fully believe in what Allaah, The Exalted, says, so that we may be correctly guided. Allaah says to Muhammad (pbuh), about Qur’aan: “And We sent down the Book to you for the express purpose, that you should make clear to them those things in which they differ, and that it should be a guide and a mercy to those who believe.” (16:64)
Allaah has said three things about the alleged crucifixion of Jesus:
1. They didn't kill him.
2. They didn't crucify him.
3. But it was made to appear to them so.
In the case of an affirmative sentence, like: “They killed him” , there is no doubt. Everything is clear. 1. The Offender 2. The Offence 3. The Offended. But once the word “NOT” comes in and makes it a negative sentence, like: “They DID NOT kill him”, there is a possibility to vary the meaning in three ways by shifting the stress alternatingly on the rest of the three words:
1. “They did not kill him” would mean that somebody else killed him.
2. “They did not kill him” in this context would mean that they just tortured him but did not kill him.
3. “They did not kill him” would mean that they killed somebody else.
We should remember that Qur’aan is not denying the events wholesale by saying: “No. Nothing happened. Nobody did anything to anybody.” It is not saying so. Therefore, let us study further and consider for elimination, two out of the three possible variations of the sentence “They did not kill him” mentioned above.
There is no doubt as to The Offender. The Jews themselves claim to have done the deed and we all know of their complicity. Now the doubt remains about Two Things: The Offence and The Offended. About the second possibility that “They did not kill him” would mean that they crucified him but he escaped death, Allaah denies that too. The next part of the verse eliminates that possibility by saying: They did not crucify him. Having eliminated the first two possibilities, only the third one survives: “They did not kill him.” Yes, it was not him that they crucified and killed, but someone else. So, let us write that part of the verse, by putting the stress on the right word:
they did not kill him;
they did not crucify him;
but it was made to appear to them so.
It was made to appear to them that they crucified Jesus and killed him. They did not kill nor crucified Jesus (pbuh).
Having fully believed in Allaah’s words, let us now move on to find evidence of the truth in The Bible in support of it :
1. First of all, while Jesus was awaiting arrest by the soldiers, what he tells his disciples is that
a) “sleep on now, and take rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the son of man is betrayed into the hands of the sinners.” (Mark 14:41)
b) “the son of man is betrayed to be crucified” (Matthew 26:2)
Jesus never said he will be crucified, but only reveals the intention with which he will be betrayed: “betrayed to be crucified”.
2. Jesus says in Matthew 26:24: “The son of man goes as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born”.
a) About himself, Jesus (pbuh) says: “The son of man goes as it is written of him ” ; goes and not dies.
b) About the betrayer he says: “it had been good for that man if he had not been born”, a nice way of wishing death for the betrayer.
Even after this curse by the messenger of Allaah, is there a way that the betrayer will continue to live ? Thus, in the above verse, it has been determined as to who is destined to go and who is destined to die.
3. The betrayer Judas comes in to identify Jesus, when it is dark, along with a large number of soldiers , carrying lanterns, torches and weapons. The stage is perfect for the change of form of the betrayer and the betrayed, as more confusion follows: From Mark 14:44, Matthew 26:48 and Luke 22:47, which are quoted below, it is proved that Judas drew near unto Jesus to kiss him, so as to identify him.
Mark 14:44 : And he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead [him] away safely.
Matt 26:48 Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast.
Luke 22:47 : And while he yet spoke, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him.
From John 18:3 to 18:6 which is mentioned below, we come to know of another enabling factor:
18:3. Judas, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests, comes inside with lanterns and torches and weapons.
18:4. Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should happen to him, went forth, and said unto them, whom do you seek?
18:5. They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus says unto them, I am [he]. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.
18:6. As soon as he had said unto them, I am [he], they went backward, and fell to the ground.
From verse 6 above, we notice one strange thing: as soon as Jesus identifies himself, “I am (he)”, the great crowd that had come in falls to the ground. As Judas stood near Jesus (after kissing him) and as the crowd fell to the ground along with the lanterns they brought, the situation was perfect for the exchange of faces, so that those who came to arrest him do not notice it. Then the soldiers who came to arrest Jesus, take away Judas instead, while Jesus escapes along with his other disciples, who all fled the scene.
Mark 14:50 : And they all forsook him, and fled.
(The readers of Bible normally take it to mean that the disciples forsook Jesus and fled. It is shameful to think that all the disciples of Jesus forsook him at the most crucial hour of his life. Qur’aan testifies that the disciples expressed their belief and loyalty:
“ But when Jesus sensed disbelief from them, he said: Who will be my helpers in the cause of Allaah? The disciples said: We will be Allaah’s helpers. We believe in Allaah, and bear you witness that we have surrendered (unto Him). ” (3:52)
Therefore, it was Judas whom the disciples rightly forsook and all of them fled with Jesus.)
4. Now Judas is caught in an unbelievable situation, which nobody else would have experienced. Even if he tells the truth, nobody will believe it, but only think him to be Jesus trying to escape death. So it is better for him that he endures whatever happens. Some verses from the Bible are quoted below, to show how Judas behaves at the trials at the high priest's place. Whenever you encounter below the name Jesus, in the biblical verses, you have to take it as Judas, so that you may understand what the people on the scene and people in the past 2000 years have failed to comprehend.
John 18:19 to 18:23
18:19 “ The high priest therefore asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his teaching.
18:20 Jesus answered him, I spoke openly to the world; I always taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, where the Jews always meet; and in secret have I said nothing.
18:21 Why ask you me? ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said.
18:22 And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand (or with a rod), saying, Answer you the high priest so?
18:23 Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smite you me? ”
Thus the betrayer-in-a-dilemma Judas speaks evasively. He cannot preach what Jesus used to preach in the temple and in the synagogue. He neither has the authority nor the ability to repeat what Jesus used to preach. Anyway, he certainly cannot answer them if they question him further in religious matters. Had it really been Jesus, he would not have missed the opportunity to tell the priests of his teachings. But here, Judas evades the issue by saying: “I always spoke openly; I said nothing in secret; Ask them which heard me; They know what I said; If I spoke well, why you smite me.” , etc.
Matthew 26:
26:62 “And the high priest stood up, and said unto him, Answer you nothing? what is it which these witness against you?
26:63 But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest said unto him, I adjure you by the living God, that you tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of God.”
When some false witnesses testify against Jesus (Judas), the high priest begs Judas for an answer. But Judas remains quite. Then what the priest presses Judas to answer is not whether he is guilty or not but “I adjure you by the living God, that you tell us whether you are the Christ”.
So the main question raking their brains is whether this person really is Jesus.
26:64 “Jesus said unto him, You have said: nevertheless I say unto you, Henceforth you shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Judas does not say “I am Jesus”, but lets the priest take as true what he thinks, by saying: “You have said” and then continues “Henceforth you shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of Power” instead of speaking in the first person “henceforth I shall sit at the right hand of Power.”
Then they condemn him to death by holding him guilty of blasphemy. One more thing you must note now is that in this session, the process of disfiguring Judas’ face has slowly begun.
26:67 Then did they spit in his face and buffet him: and some smote him with the palms of their hands (or rods). This is quoted also in Luke 22:64.
5. Peter, who apparently witnessed what happened at the time of arrest, follows Judas to the priest's hall, so as to see what happens to Judas. The priest's servants come and question Peter three times whether he is a disciple of that person, (deeming Judas to be Jesus), but he, naturally, denies all the three times, as predicted by Jesus. Peter who was very loyal to Jesus and had told Jesus (in Matthew 26:35) “Even if I must die with you, [yet] will I not deny thee.” had to deny the person thrice because he cannot affirm to be the disciple of Judas, whom they deem to be Jesus.
6. Another account of the second session with the priests that took place on the day after the arrest, is given in Luke 22:66 to 68 :
22:66 : And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the chief priests and the scribes came together, and led him into their council, saying,
22:67 Are you the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, you will not believe:
22:68 And if I also ask [you], you will not answer me, nor let [me] go.
Again, they want to know if he is Jesus. And he tells them: If I tell you (that I am Judas), you will not believe. And if I ask you (what happened to Jesus), you will not answer me, nor let me go.
7. In the trial that takes place before the governor Pilate, again the dominant question is: Are you the Christ? And most of the time Judas says: YOU say it. (That is YOUR statement, NOT MINE.) On other occasions, he remains silent like a stone. Please refer Luke 23:3, Mark 15:2, Mark 15:5, Matthew 27:11, Matthew 27:12. Matthew 27:14.
8. Jesus is brought for trial before another official Herod:
Luke 23:8 and Luke 23:9 :
23:8 And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him.
23:9 Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing.
Poor Herod, he has been longing to witness some of the miracles that he had heard Jesus performing. But can Judas perform those miracles ? On the other hand, he avoids talking straight to even somebody who is sympathetic and glad to see him, because he is not what Herod deems him to be: he is not Jesus.
9. By talking evasively and at times refusing to talk, Judas somehow managed to avoid being found guilty by the Governor and other officials. But the Jews do not wish to lose face by retreating from the actions already taken to have Jesus killed. Hence, upon their stubborn insistence , he is condemned to be crucified. Before they take him to the cross, more injury is done to him:
Mark 15:19 : And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him.
Matthew 27:30 : And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.
Please note that after first injuring his FACE, now it is the turn of his HEAD to be injured. Judas is killed at the cross and later on buried. John does not add dramatic words to this scene of crucifixion, but quotes what could be reasonable words from the betrayer, while he dies:
1. “ I thirst ! ” (John 19:28)
2. “ It is finished ! ” ... and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. (John 19:30)
(not the “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit ” kind of stuff ! See Luke 23:46).
10. The Bible records that Mary (pbuh), Jesus’ (pbuh) mother, was a witness to the crucifixion.
John 19:25 “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother.... ”
While the Bible records the reaction of every bystander and passer-by, it fails to mention the reaction of Mary (pbuh) the mother of Jesus, because there was no reaction from her worth mentioning. Since she knew that the person on the cross was not Jesus, she stood by the cross and just watched the punishment meted out to the betrayer of Jesus. Had the person on the cross really been Jesus, she would have reacted hysterically. Because it was she who bore Jesus with difficulty and delivered him with pains. No mother will be a mute spectator to such an event.
Qur’aan records the labour pains of Mary, while she delivered Jesus: “ And the pangs of childbirth drove her unto the trunk of the palm tree. She said: Oh, would that I had died before this and had become a thing forgotten.” (19:23)
11. The Bible says that Jesus addressed his mother from the cross as “ Woman ! ” (John 19:26). No mean person will address his mother as “Woman ! ”. It is only because the person on the cross was Judas and not Jesus (pbuh) that he address Mary as “ Women ! ” Qur’aan testifies that Jesus was kind to his mother and said from his cradle : “ And (God has made me) dutiful toward her who bore me, and has not made me arrogant, unblest. ” ( 19 : 32 )
12. And where is Jesus (pbuh) when all this happens. Jesus had predicted, in Matthew 12:40
“for as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
Do you know which is the heart of the earth? Before thinking further, let us consider What is the function of a heart.
It draws blood from other parts of the body for purification and again sends it back to all the parts. Right ? Can you think of a place on the earth, which draws people from all parts of the earth and sends them back, too, after purifying them. And that too at a regular interval, just like the heart ?
Yes, you guessed it right: it is Mecca.
Jesus is expected to descend on the earth again, during the reign of the expected guided leader Mahdee (peace upon him). Jesus (peace be upon him) knew that he will live as a Muslim when he comes back to the earth, as he was a Muslim before being taken up into the heaven. But he could not wait, as we now know, not less than twenty centuries to relish this. So, when he knows that his days in the earth are not many, he formally submits himself to the Lord, starts to pray in Arabic, does prostration and now goes on a pilgrimage to Mecca.
(Earlier, he had prayed to the Lord for the Muslims, in the following manner:
John: 17:20 & 21: 21.
17:20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, [art] in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me).
And as predicted, he was in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.
13. THE JEWS IN A DILEMMA:
Now let us imagine the restlessness of the Jews after the soldiers brought Judas, thinking him to be Jesus. While, according to them, Jesus is in their custody, what happened to their man, Judas ? Why did he not turn up to win accolades from them, for the great betrayal he committed, in order to please them. This must have greatly disturbed them. Anyway, where is Judas ?
The answer to this was provided to them by the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, and made possible the entry of Peter into the palace.
“John 18:15 : And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and [so did] another disciple: that disciple was known unto the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest.
John 18:16 But Peter stood at the door without. Then went out that other disciple, which was known unto the high priest, and spake unto her that kept the door, and brought in Peter.”
That other disciple sounded the high priest of what happened at the time of arrest, but since it is an unbelievable event for everyone, they wanted to elicit information from Judas and, hence, kept on enquiring Judas, whether he is really Christ. On the basis of the information provided by the other disciple, the high priest’s people tried thrice to rope in Peter for enquiry, by sending female servants to talk to him, but he craftily refused to yield. The Jews were in a terrible dilemma.
1. Now they have to kill a person who co-operated with them against
Jesus. The fellow is not even trying to save himself, being unable to overcome the humiliation wrought on him by the Lord.
2. If they disclose the truth and spare Judas, they have to bear the shame of having failed to kill Jesus. So they decided to kill Judas and claimed to have killed Jesus.
Now, they face another problem: How to account for the missing Judas. So, their soldiers removed Judas’ body from the grave, while everybody was observing the Sabbath - (the compulsory religious holiday on Saturdays.) Then they disfigure the face more, because that is the only thing that has the resemblance of Jesus. After this is done, he is now perfectly Judas. To account for the injury to the face and the head, they spread the news that is reported in Acts 1:18 :
“Acts 1:18 Now this man obtained a field with the reward of his iniquity; and falling headlong , he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.”
Is it not enough that they have disfigured his head and face. What is the necessity to cut open his stomach and spread the news that: “ he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.”
So that, because of the nasty stench it would produce, nobody can come near the body and notice or find out the minor injuries that Judas suffered at the cross. The cause of death should be very apparent from a distance, in order to avoid a close scrutiny by curious people.
The fact that all this was done by the Jews, by bribing the watchmen or the soldiers, is recorded in Matthew 28:11 to 28:15
“Matthew 28:11 : Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and informed unto the chief priests all the things that were done.
28:12 And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers,
28:13 Saying, Say you, His disciples came by night, and stole him [away] while we slept.
28:14 And if this come to the governor’s ears, we will persuade him, and secure you
28:15 So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.”
And to make it appear that it was really Jesus whom they arrested and to make the people believe that Judas was roaming freely after the arrest took place, they spread the lie that he came to the temple and threw back the silver coins he received as bribe from them: “Matthew 27:5 : And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.” That this verse is a total lie is borne by the fact that the other accounts talk of Judas falling headlong and his bowels gushing out. (Acts 1:18)
14. In respect of the later events:
a. at the grave where they buried Judas and
b. where Jesus meets his disciples, etc.
we find a lot of difference in the narration of Luke, John, Matthew and Mark, just as in respect of the earlier events. It is a waste of time counting and comparing the different and conflicting details. Hence, only those details that are important in view of the truth revealed above, are mentioned.
15. a) When Mary Magdalene goes to the grave, she finds that the stone covering the grave of Judas is already removed.
“Mark 16:3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?
16:4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.
16:5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.”
Points to be noted in the above verses: 1. The heavy stone was already rolled away by the soldiers of the governor. 2. People perform the pilgrimage rites in Mecca wearing white clothing.
b) Mary Magdalene sees two angels in white sitting. (John 20:12) Just as the Muslims believe that The Almighty will provide two angels for Jesus’ descent from heaven, when he comes again, similarly these two angels have made possible his pilgrimage to Mecca.
c) Luke 24:4 & 24:5
24:4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:
24:5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down [their] faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?
The two men in shining garments are angels, who refer Jesus as the living, and not as the resurrected.
d) John 20:14: “And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.
20:15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him,” etc.
Points to be noted: She saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus, because she supposed him to be the gardener. She could not recognize Jesus, because of the changed face and deemed him to be the gardener because of the simple cloths worn while performing pilgrimage rites. Moreover, he would have had a shaven head, another rite of the pilgrimage.
e) John 20:17 “Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and [to] my God, and your God.”
And as to my other statement that Jesus (pbuh) wanted his followers to restrict their domain of activity to Jerusalem till Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) arrived, it is contained in verse 47 to 49 of Luke 24.
The instructions of Jesus (pbuh) to his disciples in the preceding verse (Mark 16:15) : “Go you into all the world, and preach the GOSPEL to every creature”, is to be seen in the above context. The gospel (good news) he wants them to preach to every creature is the gospel of the coming of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his nation of believers who will cast out devils in the name of the God, speaking new tongue.
As distinct from the above instruction to go forth into all the world for preaching a limited gospel, he asks them to wait in Jerusalem till the arrival of Muhammad (pbuh), in order to be empowered to preach “repentance and remission” - the prerequisite for reform in Islaam - among all nations.
Let us study the verses from Luke 24: 47.
" 47. And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
48. And you are witnesses of these things.
49. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: But tarry you in the City of Jerusalem, until you be endued with power from on high. "
“ tarry until you get power from on high” : Jesus’ parting advice, just before his ascension to heaven, would indeed constitute the most important advice for his followers.
Further elaboration of this advice is found in The Acts 1:5, 7 & 8:
" 5. For John truly baptized with water; but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
7. It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father has put in his own power.
8. But you shall receive power, after that the holy ghost is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Ju-dae'-a, and in Sa-ma-ria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. "
With the help of the above verses, we know that the condition imposed to stay in Jerusalem till they receive power is removed in the following manner and then they can be witnesses to Jesus(pbuh) both in Jerusalem and in the uttermost part of the earth :
first: " you shall receive power " ; then: " after that the holy ghost is come upon you " ; and: “ you shall be witnesses unto me unto the uttermost part of the earth, besides Jerusalem, Ju-dae’-a and Sa-ma-ria.”
The tidings “you shall receive power” can be attributed to the arrival/ birth of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the prediction of the coming of holy ghost is to be taken as the bringing of the message and guidance to him by the holy ghost, Archangel Gabriel. Only after these things take place they were allowed to preach in other parts of the world, besides Jerusalem.
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is described in Qur’aan as the one “Mighty (Powerful), established in the presence of the Lord of the Throne.” (81:20) Thus the followers of Jesus Christ were ordained to restrict their preaching to Jerusalem, till the arrival of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), the one with power, “and after that the holy ghost is come upon you” which refers to the conferment of prophethood to Muhammad (pbuh), who was prophesied earlier to “guide you into all truth” in John 16:13, and then “you can be witness unto me all over the earth”.
The likeness of this in our daily life is: when you apply for a car-driving licence, the authorities first give you a learner’s licence for some period, say three months, restricting that you should not drive the vehicle beyond your locality, while you hold this licence. Then, after you get good practice you get a permanent driver’s licence and then you can drive the vehicle in all places.
When Jesus(pbuh) himself has said that ?
- HIS TARGET-AUDIENCE IS LIMITED, “ I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Matthew 15:24) NOT THE WHOLE WORLD,
- HIS MESSAGE IS INCOMPLETE, “I have yet many things to say unto you” (John 16:12)
- THE FINAL PROPHET WILL GUIDE YOU INTO ALL TRUTH, "When he, the spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13)
naturally, his followers had to wait till they get the ‘power’ to go all over the world, till they know the many things Jesus(pbuh) had to say and till the spirit of truth guides them into all truth.
Now that the final prophet has come and he has guided you into all truth, accept his guidance and go you unto the uttermost part of the world, and be you witness to Jesus(pbuh), proclaim that he had already given you the glad tidings of the arrival of the last prophet ; and preach Islam, which has repentance and remission of sins as its important features, ( avoiding the invented theory of ‘original sin’), among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You have indeed received the requisite power from on high.
The concordance to the verse of Mark 16:17 would have us believe that the signs of believers given therein “In my name shall they cast out devils and they shall speak with new tongues” already took place as described in the verses of Acts 2, given briefly below:
After the ascension of Jesus (pbuh), in Jerusalem, there was a sudden sound and cloven tongues as of fire on pentecost day and everyone present was filled with holy ghost and they began to speak other tongues. Everyone was confounded because of this: people of different nationalities speaking in one tongue. They were all amazed, and were in doubt, wondering what is this. Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. But Peter stands up and says they are not drunken but it is fulfillment of the prophecy spoken by prophet Joel, when God said: It shall come to pass in the last days, I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and daughters shall prophesy and your servants and handmaidens shall prophesy, etc.
The prediction of Mark 16:17 can not be said to refer to such a weird and temporary phenomenon which one of the witnesses to the act attributed to new wine among the affected followers; but it is the phenomenon lasting since the days of Muhammad(pbuh) till today, in that the muslim believers speaking different languages cast out the devil in the name of Allaah, in a tongue new/foreign to them, that is, Arabic. Bible is precise in its prediction: “These signs shall follow the believers....”. It doesn’t say: “These signs will occur to the believers ...” but rather “FOLLOW”, wherever and whenever they are...... And, thus, you see the fulfillment: The sign follows the believers: They cast out the devil in His name and they speak with new tongue.
However, when some people said that the followers were affected by new wine, Peter says that it is not new wine but it is the fulfillment of a prediction in Joel 2 : 28 - 32, which foretells that in the last days everyone shall prophesy, including your slaves. But, again, that prophecy actually applies to the Muslim Ummah, the Muslim Nation, whose members have been given the charge and responsibility of propagating the God’s word unto the people.
Allaah says in the Holy Qur’aan : 3:110. “You are the best community that has been raised up for mankind. You enjoin right conduct and forbid indecency; and you believe in Allaah.”
This is what the verses 28 and 29 of Joel 2 predict:
28. And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.
29. And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
Thus, we have so far seen how the bible and Jesus’ utterances have been supportive of and predicting about the rise of Muhammad (pbuh), and through him the belief Islaam and the believing nation of Muslims to which his followers are required to join. These constitute enough evidence for a heart inclined towards the truth. If anyone chooses to ignore the truth, after he recognises it, he himself is the loser.
In Qur'aan, Allaah has promised that Islaam will prevail over all religions. In Bible, too, Allaah has said:
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto My words which he shall speak in My name, I will require it of him. " ( Deuteronomy, 18 : 19 )
It is better to voluntarily listen to what the prophet speaks in the God's name and follow him, rather than being forced by the Lord to follow His words.
In the name of God, the most beneficent, the most merciful.
JESUS, A MUSLIM, WAS NEITHER KILLED, NOR CRUCIFIED:
We have seen that Jesus (pbuh) greeted his disciples like a Muslim, by saying: “Peace be unto you”, when he appeared before them after his so-called ‘resurrection’ (John 20:19). Muslims use the same words to greet, (but in Arabic): Assalaamu Alaikum.
We have also seen that the utterances of Jesus have been supportive of and predicting about the rise of Muhammad (pbuh), and through him the belief Islaam and the believing nation of Muslims, to which his followers are required to join.
In John 16: 12 & 13, Jesus says:
“I have yet many things to say unto you,
but you cannot bear them now.
Howbeit when he, the spirit of truth, is come,
he will guide you into all truth; ”
In an earlier article, we have seen that this prophecy by Prophet Jesus (pbuh) refers to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), whose arrival his followers were directed to await. The many things that Jesus would have liked to tell his followers have not been told to them, not because Jesus did not know them, but only because his followers were not ready to bear them at that time: “..... but you cannot bear them now.”
When Jesus (pbuh) states “you cannot bear them now”, it only refers to his followers and does not include himself, because he did not say: “WE cannot bear them now”.
Since Jesus didn't count himself among them in this matter, it means he was able to bear them: the guidance that the expected prophet will bring. He was aware of them and he was ready to bear them. But did he follow in action what he knew and was ready for? Yes. He did much of what a Muslim would do and is expected to do. In fact, this begins to happen even while he anticipates arrest by the Roman rulers.
He comes to know that he will be betrayed by one of his disciples, Judas, into the hands of the Jews, who intended to kill him. Apart from this, the other thing that makes him sorrowful is that he was expecting to do many things that a Muslim does. He was looking forward to the joy of doing all those things; but now his end is staring on the face. He tells his disciples:
“My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch.”
(Mark 14:34)
The one thing that he can surely do, before he is arrested, is to pray to the Lord as a Muslim prays. So he prays like a Muslim and does prostration (Sajda), touching his forehead to the ground.
“And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed....” (Matthew 26:39) What is his prayer to the Lord? The verse (Matthew 26:39) continues: “...saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as you will.”
(We learn from Qur'aan that Jesus, as a child, said from his cradle: "He said: ' I am indeed a servant of Allah: He hath given me revelation and made me a prophet ; And He has made me blessed wheresoever I be, and has enjoined on me Prayer and Charity as long as I live. ' " (19: 30-31))
Mark 14:36 says about his prayer: “And he said, Abba, Father, all things [are] possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what you will.”
Luke 22:42 says about Jesus’ prayer: “Saying, Father, if you be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but your, be done.”
The common thing observed from the above verses is: Jesus (peace be upon him) prays to the Lord to save him from the anticipated persecution at the hands of the Jews; yet not as Jesus wishes but as the Lord wills. Do you realize what Jesus is stating at this moment ? He subdues his wishes and submits himself to the will of Allaah. In other words, Jesus declares his Islam, submission, in those statements.
As already explained in Article 1 in this series: A Muslim is one who has submitted to the will of Allaah. Islam means submission (to the will of Allaah), while it also means Peace. Thus, by declaring his submission to the will of Allaah, Jesus declared himself to be a Muslim.
It was also mentioned in Chapter 2 that Jesus (pbuh), as also the other prophets before him, called themselves ‘Muslims’.
But, then, why their followers were not named as ‘Muslims’, too ?
If the followers of the different other prophets were also to be called as ‘Muslims’, then there would have been confusion in distinguishing between the true Muslims (who believe in all the prophets) and the followers of other prophets (who believe in some prophets and disbelieve in the rest). Belief in all the messengers of Allaah is a basic requirement to be called a Muslim. Allaah tells the Muslims in Qur’aan :
“ Say ( O Muslims ) : We believe in Allaah and that which is revealed unto us and that which was revealed unto Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the tribes, and that which Moses and Jesus received, and that which the Prophets received from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and unto Him we have surrendered. ” (2:136)
Thus, Jesus (pbuh) practised Islaam, i.e., Submission
and he got Islaam, i.e., Peace. How ?
The Bible tells us in Luke 22:43
“ And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.”
This is in appreciation of his act of Submission and as an answer to his prayers. The Bible just says that the angel strengthened him. Surely, he was not lacking in physical strength at that moment but what he needed most desperately was solace and assurance from the Lord that he would be saved from the arrest and wanted the freedom to perform the things he wanted to do as a Muslim.
So, Jesus the Muslim (peace be upon him) had prayed in ARABIC: “Yaa Ilaahi, Yaa Ilaahi, Lima Sabaqtanee ? ”. Does the phrase sound familiar ? Yes, this is what he asked the Lord at that moment. “O my Lord, O my Lord, Why have you advanced me (in my end) ? ”
Since he wished to do important things which a Muslim must do while he is still alive, the threatened end troubles him. So his prayer: “ O my Lord, O my Lord, Why have you ADVANCED ME ? ”
Having not understood what he said, but actually having misunderstood what he said, the writers of the Gospel shifted these words into a situation where it fitted according to their understanding and scheme. The prayer has thus been misunderstood and then quoted out of context.
He did not utter such words at the cross, where he was never taken. They say that Jesus said: "Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachtani? that is to say: My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? "(Matthew 27:46)
The above statement attributed to Jesus is totally wrong, because:
1. God will never forsake His messenger.
2. Jesus, who submits himself to the will of the Lord, will never utter such a
word.
(Please refer to the three verses quoted above: Matthew 26:39, Mark 14:36 and Luke 22:42)
The prayer of Jesus (pbuh) did not go unanswered, but was answered through the angel which appeared, in order to strengthen him. Luke 22:43 : “ And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.”
What message did the angel carry from the Lord, in reply to Jesus’ question: “ O my Lord, O my Lord, Why have you advanced me ? ”
Let us turn to Qur’aan, 3:55 :
“When Allaah said: O Jesus ! I will complete you(r term)
and cause you to ascend unto Me
and cleanse you of those who disbelieve...”
Allaah assures that Jesus will be saved from the Jews and that his term and what is destined for him is guaranteed for him and that Allaah will cause Jesus to ascend unto Him. The Bible agrees that Jesus ascended unto heaven (Luke 24:51), but the main dispute is about what happened in between: the alleged crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus (pbuh).
Allaah says in Qur’aan that they neither killed him nor crucified him, but it was made to appear so unto them. In many places in Qur’aan, it has been mentioned that Jews used to kill the prophets unjustly. But in the case of Jesus (pbuh) it vehemently denies that they killed him or that they crucified him. This is because Qur’aan will not contain anything except truth.
Sura 4, Verses 157 & 158:
“and their saying : we killed christ Jesus, son of Mary, The messenger of Allaah
- but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but it was made to appear to them so;
and those who disagree concerning it are full of doubts;
they have no knowledge thereof save pursuit of a conjecture;
For surely they killed him not; but Allaah took him up unto Himself;
and Allaah is ever mighty, wise.”
The Muslim belief is that Allaah changed the face of the person who betrayed Jesus, showing to the rulers the place where he was hiding, into a face resembling Jesus. So, they crucified that betrayer instead of Jesus.
Let us now do a deeper study of the above verses of Qur’aan, so that we may be rightly guided into the truth. Allaah says in Qur’aan not only that Jesus was not killed, but also that he was not crucified, either. Those who do not accept the truth or those who accept only a part of the truth will never get at the truth.
As a result,
1. those who wish to prove that Jesus was crucified, but did not die at the cross; and
2. those who believe that Jesus was crucified and killed at the cross,
have equally failed to convince and provide clear-cut answers to the many points that beg a solution.
Allaah has said: “......and those who disagree concerning it are full of doubts.”
Those who disagree that he was neither killed nor crucified, are full of doubts.
So, before proceeding with our study, let us not disagree and let us not be in doubt any more. But let us fully believe in what Allaah, The Exalted, says, so that we may be correctly guided. Allaah says to Muhammad (pbuh), about Qur’aan: “And We sent down the Book to you for the express purpose, that you should make clear to them those things in which they differ, and that it should be a guide and a mercy to those who believe.” (16:64)
Allaah has said three things about the alleged crucifixion of Jesus:
1. They didn't kill him.
2. They didn't crucify him.
3. But it was made to appear to them so.
In the case of an affirmative sentence, like: “They killed him” , there is no doubt. Everything is clear. 1. The Offender 2. The Offence 3. The Offended. But once the word “NOT” comes in and makes it a negative sentence, like: “They DID NOT kill him”, there is a possibility to vary the meaning in three ways by shifting the stress alternatingly on the rest of the three words:
1. “They did not kill him” would mean that somebody else killed him.
2. “They did not kill him” in this context would mean that they just tortured him but did not kill him.
3. “They did not kill him” would mean that they killed somebody else.
We should remember that Qur’aan is not denying the events wholesale by saying: “No. Nothing happened. Nobody did anything to anybody.” It is not saying so. Therefore, let us study further and consider for elimination, two out of the three possible variations of the sentence “They did not kill him” mentioned above.
There is no doubt as to The Offender. The Jews themselves claim to have done the deed and we all know of their complicity. Now the doubt remains about Two Things: The Offence and The Offended. About the second possibility that “They did not kill him” would mean that they crucified him but he escaped death, Allaah denies that too. The next part of the verse eliminates that possibility by saying: They did not crucify him. Having eliminated the first two possibilities, only the third one survives: “They did not kill him.” Yes, it was not him that they crucified and killed, but someone else. So, let us write that part of the verse, by putting the stress on the right word:
they did not kill him;
they did not crucify him;
but it was made to appear to them so.
It was made to appear to them that they crucified Jesus and killed him. They did not kill nor crucified Jesus (pbuh).
Having fully believed in Allaah’s words, let us now move on to find evidence of the truth in The Bible in support of it :
1. First of all, while Jesus was awaiting arrest by the soldiers, what he tells his disciples is that
a) “sleep on now, and take rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the son of man is betrayed into the hands of the sinners.” (Mark 14:41)
b) “the son of man is betrayed to be crucified” (Matthew 26:2)
Jesus never said he will be crucified, but only reveals the intention with which he will be betrayed: “betrayed to be crucified”.
2. Jesus says in Matthew 26:24: “The son of man goes as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born”.
a) About himself, Jesus (pbuh) says: “The son of man goes as it is written of him ” ; goes and not dies.
b) About the betrayer he says: “it had been good for that man if he had not been born”, a nice way of wishing death for the betrayer.
Even after this curse by the messenger of Allaah, is there a way that the betrayer will continue to live ? Thus, in the above verse, it has been determined as to who is destined to go and who is destined to die.
3. The betrayer Judas comes in to identify Jesus, when it is dark, along with a large number of soldiers , carrying lanterns, torches and weapons. The stage is perfect for the change of form of the betrayer and the betrayed, as more confusion follows: From Mark 14:44, Matthew 26:48 and Luke 22:47, which are quoted below, it is proved that Judas drew near unto Jesus to kiss him, so as to identify him.
Mark 14:44 : And he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead [him] away safely.
Matt 26:48 Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast.
Luke 22:47 : And while he yet spoke, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him.
From John 18:3 to 18:6 which is mentioned below, we come to know of another enabling factor:
18:3. Judas, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests, comes inside with lanterns and torches and weapons.
18:4. Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should happen to him, went forth, and said unto them, whom do you seek?
18:5. They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus says unto them, I am [he]. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.
18:6. As soon as he had said unto them, I am [he], they went backward, and fell to the ground.
From verse 6 above, we notice one strange thing: as soon as Jesus identifies himself, “I am (he)”, the great crowd that had come in falls to the ground. As Judas stood near Jesus (after kissing him) and as the crowd fell to the ground along with the lanterns they brought, the situation was perfect for the exchange of faces, so that those who came to arrest him do not notice it. Then the soldiers who came to arrest Jesus, take away Judas instead, while Jesus escapes along with his other disciples, who all fled the scene.
Mark 14:50 : And they all forsook him, and fled.
(The readers of Bible normally take it to mean that the disciples forsook Jesus and fled. It is shameful to think that all the disciples of Jesus forsook him at the most crucial hour of his life. Qur’aan testifies that the disciples expressed their belief and loyalty:
“ But when Jesus sensed disbelief from them, he said: Who will be my helpers in the cause of Allaah? The disciples said: We will be Allaah’s helpers. We believe in Allaah, and bear you witness that we have surrendered (unto Him). ” (3:52)
Therefore, it was Judas whom the disciples rightly forsook and all of them fled with Jesus.)
4. Now Judas is caught in an unbelievable situation, which nobody else would have experienced. Even if he tells the truth, nobody will believe it, but only think him to be Jesus trying to escape death. So it is better for him that he endures whatever happens. Some verses from the Bible are quoted below, to show how Judas behaves at the trials at the high priest's place. Whenever you encounter below the name Jesus, in the biblical verses, you have to take it as Judas, so that you may understand what the people on the scene and people in the past 2000 years have failed to comprehend.
John 18:19 to 18:23
18:19 “ The high priest therefore asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his teaching.
18:20 Jesus answered him, I spoke openly to the world; I always taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, where the Jews always meet; and in secret have I said nothing.
18:21 Why ask you me? ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said.
18:22 And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand (or with a rod), saying, Answer you the high priest so?
18:23 Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smite you me? ”
Thus the betrayer-in-a-dilemma Judas speaks evasively. He cannot preach what Jesus used to preach in the temple and in the synagogue. He neither has the authority nor the ability to repeat what Jesus used to preach. Anyway, he certainly cannot answer them if they question him further in religious matters. Had it really been Jesus, he would not have missed the opportunity to tell the priests of his teachings. But here, Judas evades the issue by saying: “I always spoke openly; I said nothing in secret; Ask them which heard me; They know what I said; If I spoke well, why you smite me.” , etc.
Matthew 26:
26:62 “And the high priest stood up, and said unto him, Answer you nothing? what is it which these witness against you?
26:63 But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest said unto him, I adjure you by the living God, that you tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of God.”
When some false witnesses testify against Jesus (Judas), the high priest begs Judas for an answer. But Judas remains quite. Then what the priest presses Judas to answer is not whether he is guilty or not but “I adjure you by the living God, that you tell us whether you are the Christ”.
So the main question raking their brains is whether this person really is Jesus.
26:64 “Jesus said unto him, You have said: nevertheless I say unto you, Henceforth you shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Judas does not say “I am Jesus”, but lets the priest take as true what he thinks, by saying: “You have said” and then continues “Henceforth you shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of Power” instead of speaking in the first person “henceforth I shall sit at the right hand of Power.”
Then they condemn him to death by holding him guilty of blasphemy. One more thing you must note now is that in this session, the process of disfiguring Judas’ face has slowly begun.
26:67 Then did they spit in his face and buffet him: and some smote him with the palms of their hands (or rods). This is quoted also in Luke 22:64.
5. Peter, who apparently witnessed what happened at the time of arrest, follows Judas to the priest's hall, so as to see what happens to Judas. The priest's servants come and question Peter three times whether he is a disciple of that person, (deeming Judas to be Jesus), but he, naturally, denies all the three times, as predicted by Jesus. Peter who was very loyal to Jesus and had told Jesus (in Matthew 26:35) “Even if I must die with you, [yet] will I not deny thee.” had to deny the person thrice because he cannot affirm to be the disciple of Judas, whom they deem to be Jesus.
6. Another account of the second session with the priests that took place on the day after the arrest, is given in Luke 22:66 to 68 :
22:66 : And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the chief priests and the scribes came together, and led him into their council, saying,
22:67 Are you the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, you will not believe:
22:68 And if I also ask [you], you will not answer me, nor let [me] go.
Again, they want to know if he is Jesus. And he tells them: If I tell you (that I am Judas), you will not believe. And if I ask you (what happened to Jesus), you will not answer me, nor let me go.
7. In the trial that takes place before the governor Pilate, again the dominant question is: Are you the Christ? And most of the time Judas says: YOU say it. (That is YOUR statement, NOT MINE.) On other occasions, he remains silent like a stone. Please refer Luke 23:3, Mark 15:2, Mark 15:5, Matthew 27:11, Matthew 27:12. Matthew 27:14.
8. Jesus is brought for trial before another official Herod:
Luke 23:8 and Luke 23:9 :
23:8 And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him.
23:9 Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing.
Poor Herod, he has been longing to witness some of the miracles that he had heard Jesus performing. But can Judas perform those miracles ? On the other hand, he avoids talking straight to even somebody who is sympathetic and glad to see him, because he is not what Herod deems him to be: he is not Jesus.
9. By talking evasively and at times refusing to talk, Judas somehow managed to avoid being found guilty by the Governor and other officials. But the Jews do not wish to lose face by retreating from the actions already taken to have Jesus killed. Hence, upon their stubborn insistence , he is condemned to be crucified. Before they take him to the cross, more injury is done to him:
Mark 15:19 : And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him.
Matthew 27:30 : And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.
Please note that after first injuring his FACE, now it is the turn of his HEAD to be injured. Judas is killed at the cross and later on buried. John does not add dramatic words to this scene of crucifixion, but quotes what could be reasonable words from the betrayer, while he dies:
1. “ I thirst ! ” (John 19:28)
2. “ It is finished ! ” ... and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. (John 19:30)
(not the “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit ” kind of stuff ! See Luke 23:46).
10. The Bible records that Mary (pbuh), Jesus’ (pbuh) mother, was a witness to the crucifixion.
John 19:25 “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother.... ”
While the Bible records the reaction of every bystander and passer-by, it fails to mention the reaction of Mary (pbuh) the mother of Jesus, because there was no reaction from her worth mentioning. Since she knew that the person on the cross was not Jesus, she stood by the cross and just watched the punishment meted out to the betrayer of Jesus. Had the person on the cross really been Jesus, she would have reacted hysterically. Because it was she who bore Jesus with difficulty and delivered him with pains. No mother will be a mute spectator to such an event.
Qur’aan records the labour pains of Mary, while she delivered Jesus: “ And the pangs of childbirth drove her unto the trunk of the palm tree. She said: Oh, would that I had died before this and had become a thing forgotten.” (19:23)
11. The Bible says that Jesus addressed his mother from the cross as “ Woman ! ” (John 19:26). No mean person will address his mother as “Woman ! ”. It is only because the person on the cross was Judas and not Jesus (pbuh) that he address Mary as “ Women ! ” Qur’aan testifies that Jesus was kind to his mother and said from his cradle : “ And (God has made me) dutiful toward her who bore me, and has not made me arrogant, unblest. ” ( 19 : 32 )
12. And where is Jesus (pbuh) when all this happens. Jesus had predicted, in Matthew 12:40
“for as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
Do you know which is the heart of the earth? Before thinking further, let us consider What is the function of a heart.
It draws blood from other parts of the body for purification and again sends it back to all the parts. Right ? Can you think of a place on the earth, which draws people from all parts of the earth and sends them back, too, after purifying them. And that too at a regular interval, just like the heart ?
Yes, you guessed it right: it is Mecca.
Jesus is expected to descend on the earth again, during the reign of the expected guided leader Mahdee (peace upon him). Jesus (peace be upon him) knew that he will live as a Muslim when he comes back to the earth, as he was a Muslim before being taken up into the heaven. But he could not wait, as we now know, not less than twenty centuries to relish this. So, when he knows that his days in the earth are not many, he formally submits himself to the Lord, starts to pray in Arabic, does prostration and now goes on a pilgrimage to Mecca.
(Earlier, he had prayed to the Lord for the Muslims, in the following manner:
John: 17:20 & 21: 21.
17:20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, [art] in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me).
And as predicted, he was in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.
13. THE JEWS IN A DILEMMA:
Now let us imagine the restlessness of the Jews after the soldiers brought Judas, thinking him to be Jesus. While, according to them, Jesus is in their custody, what happened to their man, Judas ? Why did he not turn up to win accolades from them, for the great betrayal he committed, in order to please them. This must have greatly disturbed them. Anyway, where is Judas ?
The answer to this was provided to them by the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, and made possible the entry of Peter into the palace.
“John 18:15 : And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and [so did] another disciple: that disciple was known unto the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest.
John 18:16 But Peter stood at the door without. Then went out that other disciple, which was known unto the high priest, and spake unto her that kept the door, and brought in Peter.”
That other disciple sounded the high priest of what happened at the time of arrest, but since it is an unbelievable event for everyone, they wanted to elicit information from Judas and, hence, kept on enquiring Judas, whether he is really Christ. On the basis of the information provided by the other disciple, the high priest’s people tried thrice to rope in Peter for enquiry, by sending female servants to talk to him, but he craftily refused to yield. The Jews were in a terrible dilemma.
1. Now they have to kill a person who co-operated with them against
Jesus. The fellow is not even trying to save himself, being unable to overcome the humiliation wrought on him by the Lord.
2. If they disclose the truth and spare Judas, they have to bear the shame of having failed to kill Jesus. So they decided to kill Judas and claimed to have killed Jesus.
Now, they face another problem: How to account for the missing Judas. So, their soldiers removed Judas’ body from the grave, while everybody was observing the Sabbath - (the compulsory religious holiday on Saturdays.) Then they disfigure the face more, because that is the only thing that has the resemblance of Jesus. After this is done, he is now perfectly Judas. To account for the injury to the face and the head, they spread the news that is reported in Acts 1:18 :
“Acts 1:18 Now this man obtained a field with the reward of his iniquity; and falling headlong , he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.”
Is it not enough that they have disfigured his head and face. What is the necessity to cut open his stomach and spread the news that: “ he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.”
So that, because of the nasty stench it would produce, nobody can come near the body and notice or find out the minor injuries that Judas suffered at the cross. The cause of death should be very apparent from a distance, in order to avoid a close scrutiny by curious people.
The fact that all this was done by the Jews, by bribing the watchmen or the soldiers, is recorded in Matthew 28:11 to 28:15
“Matthew 28:11 : Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and informed unto the chief priests all the things that were done.
28:12 And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers,
28:13 Saying, Say you, His disciples came by night, and stole him [away] while we slept.
28:14 And if this come to the governor’s ears, we will persuade him, and secure you
28:15 So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.”
And to make it appear that it was really Jesus whom they arrested and to make the people believe that Judas was roaming freely after the arrest took place, they spread the lie that he came to the temple and threw back the silver coins he received as bribe from them: “Matthew 27:5 : And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.” That this verse is a total lie is borne by the fact that the other accounts talk of Judas falling headlong and his bowels gushing out. (Acts 1:18)
14. In respect of the later events:
a. at the grave where they buried Judas and
b. where Jesus meets his disciples, etc.
we find a lot of difference in the narration of Luke, John, Matthew and Mark, just as in respect of the earlier events. It is a waste of time counting and comparing the different and conflicting details. Hence, only those details that are important in view of the truth revealed above, are mentioned.
15. a) When Mary Magdalene goes to the grave, she finds that the stone covering the grave of Judas is already removed.
“Mark 16:3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?
16:4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.
16:5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.”
Points to be noted in the above verses: 1. The heavy stone was already rolled away by the soldiers of the governor. 2. People perform the pilgrimage rites in Mecca wearing white clothing.
b) Mary Magdalene sees two angels in white sitting. (John 20:12) Just as the Muslims believe that The Almighty will provide two angels for Jesus’ descent from heaven, when he comes again, similarly these two angels have made possible his pilgrimage to Mecca.
c) Luke 24:4 & 24:5
24:4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:
24:5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down [their] faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?
The two men in shining garments are angels, who refer Jesus as the living, and not as the resurrected.
d) John 20:14: “And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.
20:15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him,” etc.
Points to be noted: She saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus, because she supposed him to be the gardener. She could not recognize Jesus, because of the changed face and deemed him to be the gardener because of the simple cloths worn while performing pilgrimage rites. Moreover, he would have had a shaven head, another rite of the pilgrimage.
e) John 20:17 “Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and [to] my God, and your God.”