Islam_in_Focus_text

This rejection is based on the Authority of God Himself as
revealed in the Qur'an, and on a deeper rejection of blood
sacrifice and vicarious atonement for sins. Islam teaches that
the First Sin of Adam was forgiven after he himself had
made the atonement; that every sinner, if not forgiven by
God, will himself be accountable for his sins; and that no
one can make atonement for the sins of another. This makes
no room for the entertainment of the doctrine of Blood Sac-
rifice or atonement on another person's behalf. However,
some of the early Christian sects did not believe that Jesus
was killed on the Cross. The Bacilidans believed that some-
one else was crucified in his place. The Docetae held that Je-
sus never had a real physical or natural body, but only an ap-
parent body, and that his crucifixion was apparent, not real.
The Marcionite Gospel (about 138 A. D.) denied that Jesus
was born, and merely said that he appeared in human form.
The Gospel of Saint Barnabas - of which there is an English
translation in the State Library of Vienna and an Arabic ver-
sion in the Arab world - supports the theory of substitution
on the Cross.
As regards the end of Jesus, the Muslim is quite at ease
as he is with regard to his beginning. The Muslim believes
that Jesus was neither killed nor crucified, but God raised
him up to Himself in honor and grace. The mind of the Mus-
lim is clear as far as the whole matter is concerned, The
Qur'an has settled the disputes for him once and for all. The
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