In The Name of Allah, The Most` Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
وَقَوْلِهِمْ إِنَّا قَتَلْنَا الْمَسِيحَ عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَكِنْ شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ اخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ لَفِي شَكٍّ مِنْهُ مَا لَهُمْ بِهِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِلَّا اتِّبَاعَ الظَّنِّ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِينًا
بَل رَّفَعَهُ ٱللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًا
And [for] their saying, “Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah.” And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but the resemblance of ‘Iesa (Jesus) was put over another man (and they killed that man), and those who differ therein are full of doubts. They have no (certain) knowledge, they follow nothing but conjecture. For surely; they killed him not [i.e. ‘Iesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary)]: But Allah raised him [‘Iesa (Jesus)] up (with his body and soul) unto Himself (and he is in the heavens). And Allah is Ever All-Powerful, All-Wise. [An-Nisa 157-158]
[إِنَّا قَتَلْنَا الْمَسِيحَ عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ – Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah].
Imam Ibn kathir, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: (Meaning):
“We (i.e. the plotters) have killed this one (i.e. Jesus) who claimed this position (or rank) for himself”. This statement was made from the angle of false accusation and mockery, similar to the statement of the polytheists: [يا أيها الذي نزل عليه الذكر إنك لمجنون – O you to whom the Reminder has been revealed, indeed you are insane]. [Al-Hijr 6]
“The Rabis of the Jews (at that time) when Allah sent Isa (Jesus), the son of Mary, with clear signs and guidance, they envied him for the prophethood and the remarkable miracles bestowed upon him. These miracles included healing the blind and the leprous, as well as raising the dead by Allah’s permission. He fashioned a bird from clay, breathed into it, and it became a living bird that flew by Allah’s will, among other miracles that Allah honored him with and manifested through his hands. Despite this, they belied and opposed him, and endeavored to harm him in every possible way unil the Prophet Jesus, peace be upon him, could not reside among them in the town; instead, he and his mother, peace be upon them, frequently traveled. Yet, this was not enough to satisfy them, as they sought the king of Damascus at that time—a man who was a polytheist and a worshiper of celestial bodies, known as the Greeks. They reported to him that there was a man in Jerusalem who was misleading the people and corrupting the king’s subjects. This infuriated the king, prompting him to write to his deputy in Jerusalem, instructing him to take precautions against the mentioned individual, to crucify him, and to place a crown of thorns upon his head, in order to stop harm on the people”…until the point at which Imam Ibn Kathir stated:
“Indeed, Allah has clarified and elucidated the matter in the magnificent Quran, which He revealed to His noble Messenger, supported by miracles, clear signs, and evident proofs. He, (Allah) – [The Most truthful in speech, the Lord of the entire existence, the one who knows the secrets and innermost thoughts, knows the hidden in the heavens and the earth, knows all that has occurred, all that is to occur (and occurring), and all that did not occur and how it would have occurred if it was to occur] – stated: [وما قتلوه وما صلبوه ولكن شبه لهم – And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but the resemblance of ‘Iesa (Jesus) was put over another man (and they killed that man)]. They saw someone resembling him and mistakenly believed it to be him, thus Allah stated: [وإن الذين اختلفوا فيه لفي شك منه ما لهم به من علم إلا اتباع الظن – and those who differ therein are full of doubts. They have no (certain) knowledge, they follow nothing but conjecture]. [وما قتلوه يقينا بل رفعه الله إليه – For surely; they killed him not [i.e. ‘Iesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary)]: But Allah raised him [‘Iesa (Jesus)] up (with his body and soul) unto Himself (and he is in the heavens)]. Meaning, those among the Jews who claimed to have killed him and those among the ignorant Christians who believed the same; all of them are in doubt, confusion, misguidance, and error. Thus, Allah stated: [وما قتلوه يقينا – For surely; they killed him not] – Meaning, they were not certain it was him, but rather were in doubt and delusion. [1]
[وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَكِنْ شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ – And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but the resemblance of ‘Iesa (Jesus) was put over another man (and they killed that man)].
Shaikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:
This statement was directed towards the Jews (i.e. those among them who plotted against Isa), and dispraised them for their actions. The Christians were not mentioned because it was those (particular) Jews who were responsible for the crucifixion of the one who was likened to Isa. None of the Christians were present with them; in fact, the disciples were fearful and absent, thus no one among them witnessed the crucifixion. Instead, it was those Jews who informed the people that they have crucified the Messiah. The accounts of His crucifixion that reached both Christians and others originated from those Jews, who were agents of oppression. They were not numerous enough to prevent their agreement on lying”. [2]
Imam Ibn Hazm, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:
The Christians themselves acknowledged that they did not endevour to get hold of his body during the day due to fear of the public; instead, they took him at night after the people had dispersed following the Passover. Furthermore, it is stated that he remained on the cross for only six hours during the day and was taken down shortly thereafter. The crucifixion allegedly occurred in a location distant from the city, in a garden owned by a potter, which is not a recognised site for crucifixions. After all of this, it would be that they established a context to say that his companions would have run off with his body (in secret) and that Maryam Magdalene, a woman among the common people, did not approach the site of the crucifixion but stood at a distance, observing everything as described in their Gospel. This undermines the notion that the crucifixion was reported (and witnessed) by all people (or numerous people) because it appears to be a concealed and colluded event.
At that time, according to the Gospel, the disciples were fearful for their own safety, fled and remained hidden. And that Peter entered the house of Caiaphas the priest during daylight, so he said to him, “Are you one of Jesus’s associates?” However, he denied this and fled the premises; then how about the claim that it was reported by everyone! This is the meaning of the verse [ولكن شبه لهم – but the resemblance of ‘Iesa (Jesus) was put over another man (and they killed that man)], meaning, those wicked individuals who orchestrated this falsehood conspired together and misled their followers into believing that they had crucified and killed him, despite knowing that this was a lie.
It was never the case that everyone reported the [alleged killing of Isa, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him], but even if it were true that they did, then how could it not be possible regarding the fact that every miracle does alter natural phenomena and changes the way senses normally perceive things? If it were indeed the case that everyone saw (or reported) it, then Allah’s statement regarding this event is that He likened another person to Isa, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and blocked their perceptions in the manner they perceived it, (so they thought that it was him who was crucified whereas, it was someone else). This event would be comparable to the migration of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, at night, during which a hundred men from Quraysh, sought after him, yet Allah concealed their vision from him, preventing them from seeing him. However, as for what is not established based on Allah’s statement that He made something appear in a way that is not what is seen or perceived in reality, it would not be permissible to regard it as such, as it leads to an impossibility. Thus, the changing of nature and natural things from what they are in reality cannot be considered possible unless there is definitive proof from Allah, which must be accepted. [Footnote a] But the reality of something can be misperceived by one or two individuals, as well as a result of insanity or foolishness. However, this cannot happen to an entire group (i.e. the populace).
And regarding Allah’s statement: [وما قتلوه وما صلبوه ولكن شبه لهم – And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but the resemblance of ‘Iesa (Jesus) was put over another man (and they killed that man)]. This is regarding those who say that Isa, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was crucified due to blindly following their predecessors among the Christians and Jews. These people were (deceived) based on doubtful (ambiguous) report, as they entered into something false that is made to resemble the truth. The evil elders at that time entered them into this falsehood that was made to resemble the truth. The claimants (those Jews who disbelieved in Isa) told them that they killed and crucified him, while they knew that it was not the case; instead, they secretly conspired to kill and crucify him, preventing public attendance, and subsequently claimed to have killed and buried him to mislead the general populace, who were led to believe the false narrative that was made to resemble the truth. [3]
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Footnote a: The miracles of the Prophets and righteous people who adhered/ adhere to the divine revelation without deviation in creed or worship must not be mistaken for the deceptions of magicians, the people of innovation in religious matters and the devils. Shaikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:
The Khawariq [Phenomena attributed to something outside the norm] by way of which the devils misguide the children of Adam – such as when the devils take the image of a person who is absent or has passed away and what is similar to this – has misguided many of those who ascribe themselves to the Muslims or to the people of the Scripture. They establish this on two affairs: Firstly, that whoever from whom these khawaariq occurs is a Wali, and according to the term of the Christians he is a Qadees A’dheem – a great saint! Secondly, that the one from whom these khawaariq occurs is therefore infallible, everything he narrates is truth and everything he commands is justice”.
However, it can definitely be the case that neither did a phenomena outside the norm – whether unrelated or related to sound knowledge and piety – occur from such a person nor a phenomena outside the normal related to deeds of the devils; rather the person merely carried out the tricks of the liars and wicked sinners. The tricks of the liars and wicked sinners are numerous indeed, so one thinks that they are amazing events outside the norm, however neither is that the case nor is it something similar to the tricks of the monks. Some people have written books regarding the tricks of the monks, such as the trick reported about one of them changing water into oil- that when the oil is in the interior of the lighthouse, the water gradually reduces and thus the oil floats [or pops up] on the water, so those who are present think that the water has changed into oil. The likes of this affair are numerous from the tricks of those Christians, because all that those Christians possess – those who altered the religion of the Messiah [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] – of activities that are attributed to something out of the norm are either from the devils or they are tricks, and there’s nothing in them related to the miracles of the righteous people.
Likewise, the deviated people – those who seek to alter the religion of Muhammad – adopt a religion that is not legislated by Allah and His Messenger, then they make it a path of worship and give it precedence over the path that is legislated by Allah and His Messenger. For example, they give precedence to listening to sounds from the tambourines and the shrill flutes over listening to the book of Allah, so one of them goes into a state of ecstasy and a satanic trance through which he becomes muddled up with shaytan until he speaks in a language he does not know. Then when he returns to his senses – just as when a jinn speaks through the tongue of the one who is possessed and after informing the people of that which is in his heart and soul, which is from the shaytan, and the shaytan leaves him -, he cannot repeat what he said at first.
The heretics alter the religion of the Messengers – either the religion of the Messiah or seek to alter the religion of Muhammad, and amongst the likes of such people are the proponents of hearsay, misguidance, the disbelievers, the polytheists, apostates and other than them, such as the likes of Musaylimah the liar, Al-Aswad Al-Unzee, Al-Haarith Ad-Dimashqee, Baabaa Roomee and other than them amongst those who engaged in activities that are considered to be outside the norm [i.e. so called miracles] but [in reality] are related to the deeds of the devils.
As for the tricksters, they are numerous and they are not Awliyaa of Allah. Their so called amazing activities that are outside the norm- if not related to the satanic deeds of the soothsayers and the magicians – a just tricks. They deliberately lie and deceive unlike those connected to the devils, because amongst them is he who deceives, so one thinks that what he does is from the miracles of the righteous people, just as amongst them is one who knows that what he does is from the devils, but he does so in order to achieve his goals.
The intent behind this discussion is that many of the activities that are considered to be outside of the norm [i.e. so called miracles] are either satanic deeds or tricks, so one thinks that they are the true miracles of the righteous people, for indeed that which whose cause is based on Shirk and wicked deeds can only be from the devils, such as when a person associates partners with Allah by invoking the stars, or invokes a person- whether such a person is dead or absent, or he makes an oath through unknown words and statements whose meanings are not known, or he knows that they are names of devils, or seeks aid through lewd conduct and oppression, then such deeds – considered to be outside of the norm that emanates from this – are from the devils.
The righteous people have miracles such as the miracles of the pious people of this Ummah [may Allah have mercy upon them], the miracles of the disciples of the Messiah [may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon the Messiah, and may Allah have mercy upon the disciples] and other than them amongst those who were upon the correct and unaltered religion of the Messiah. However, the occurrence of miracles at the hands of the righteous people does not necessitate that they are infallible like the Prophets [peace and blessings of Allah be upon them]; rather it maybe that a righteous man- a Wali – has miracles, but despite this he mixes up by error and makes a mistake in that which he thinks or what he is made to hear or see, or what he sees, or what he understands from the revealed Scripture. And because of this, the statements of those other than the Prophets [peace and blessings of Allah be upon them] can either be accepted or rejected [i.e. based on evidence], but as for the Prophets [peace and blessings of Allah be upon them], it is obligated on a person to affirm truthfully everything they have related regarding the affairs of the unseen and obey them in everything they command. And due to this, Allaah [The Exalted] obligated on a person to believe in everything the Prophets [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon them] brought and did not obligate on a person to believe in everything that comes from others.
Allaah [The Exalted] said:
قُولُوٓاْ ءَامَنَّا بِٱللَّهِ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡنَا وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَىٰٓ إِبۡرَٲهِـۧمَ وَإِسۡمَـٰعِيلَ وَإِسۡحَـٰقَ وَيَعۡقُوبَ وَٱلۡأَسۡبَاطِ وَمَآ أُوتِىَ مُوسَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰ وَمَآ أُوتِىَ ٱلنَّبِيُّونَ مِن رَّبِّهِمۡ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيۡنَ أَحَدٍ۬ مِّنۡهُمۡ وَنَحۡنُ لَهُ ۥ مُسۡلِمُونَ
Say (O Muslims), “We believe in Allah and that which has been sent down to us and that which has been sent down to Ibrahim (Abraham), Isma’il (Ishmael), Ishaque (Isaac), Ya’qub (Jacob), and to Al-Asbat [the twelve sons of Ya’qub (Jacob)], and that which has been given to Musa (Moses) and ‘Iesa (Jesus), and that which has been given to the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we have submitted (in Islam).” [Surah Al-Baqarah. Aayah 136]
Allah [The Exalted] said:
لَّيۡسَ ٱلۡبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّواْ وُجُوهَكُمۡ قِبَلَ ٱلۡمَشۡرِقِ وَٱلۡمَغۡرِبِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱلۡبِرَّ مَنۡ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأَخِرِ وَٱلۡمَلَـٰٓٮِٕڪَةِ وَٱلۡكِتَـٰبِ وَٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ
It is not Al-Birr (piety, righteousness, and each and every act of obedience to Allah, etc.) that you turn your faces towards east and (or) west (in prayers); but Al-Birr is (the quality of) the one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the Angels, the Book, the Prophets. [Al-Baqarah. 177]
And because of this the Muslims are all in agreement that the one who disbelieved in a single Prophet whose Prophethood is well known, then he is a disbeliever- an apostate. There is no distinction between one Prophet from the other- by believing in some and disbelieving in others. Allah said:
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَكۡفُرُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِۦ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَن يُفَرِّقُواْ بَيۡنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِۦ وَيَقُولُونَ نُؤۡمِنُ بِبَعۡضٍ۬ وَنَڪۡفُرُ بِبَعۡضٍ۬ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَن يَتَّخِذُواْ بَيۡنَ ذَٲلِكَ سَبِيلاً
أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡكَـٰفِرُونَ حَقًّ۬اۚ وَأَعۡتَدۡنَا لِلۡكَـٰفِرِينَ عَذَابً۬ا مُّهِينً۬ا
Verily, those who disbelieve in Allah and His Messengers and wish to make distinction between Allah and His Messengers (by believing in Allah and disbelieving in His Messengers) saying, “We believe in some but reject others,” and wish to adopt a way in between. They are in truth disbelievers. And We have prepared for the disbelievers a humiliating torment. [Surah An-Nisaa. Aayaat 150-151] [4]
Listen here: [Lesson 39] The Miracles of the Righteous Worshippers (Awliyā) – Followed by Manhaj Q&A – The ‘Aqīdah of Imām Muhammad ibn ‘Abdil-Wahhāb – By Shaikh Abu Khadeejah – Masjid Bin Bāz – London: https://www.salafisounds.com/lesson-39-the-miracles-of-the-righteous-worshippers-awliya-followed-by-manhaj-qa-the-aqidah-of-imam-muhammad-ibn-abdil-wahhab-by-abu-khadeejah-masjid-bin-baz-london/
Read: The Status of Jesus In Islam – By Shaikh Abu Khadeejah- may Allah preserve him.
Click to access Jesus-in-Islam-2016.pdf
[1] Tafsir Ibn kathir
[2] Al-Jawab as-Sahih Liman Baddala Deen Al-Masih 4/33-34
[3] An Excerpt from Al-Faslu Fil Milal Wal Ahwa wan-Nihal 1/57-64
[4] Al-Jawab as-Sahih Liman Baddala Deen Al-Masih. 1/284-287