reynolds-the-quran-in-its-historical-context-2

348 Devin J. Stewartand so on, are replaced with predictions of the Day of Resurrection and the DayJudgment. While the soothsayer's pronouncements derived from thedirectly by inspiration, or through the mediation of a familiar spirit, the n~''"ho+'•revelations derived from a celestial book, a scripture that was intangible and ·.existed on a higher plane. A broad, comparative perspective suggests that theQur' an, and the Prophet Mul;~ammad' s mission itself, may be profitably viewed as •.representing a particular stage in religious development, that of transition between·an oracular and a prophetic moment.Does the Qur'an deny or assertJesus's {!rucifixion and death? 1Suleiman A. Mourad·.·The issue of Jesus's crucifixion and death in the Qur'an has been extensively exam­.· ined in modem scholarship, primarily by scholars concerned with religious dialogueor polemics. 2 One reason for this interest is the perception that the Qur' an refutes thecrucifixion and death of Jesus; this perception, which is often tied to a pair of verses· .• (Q 4:157-58), places Islam's scripture in direct opposition to the foundationaldoctrine of the Christian faith. Yet although Muslim scholars have overwhelmingly. • rejected the crucifixion of Jesus, they are divided regarding the reality of his death .. ··.·The possibility that Jesus actually died and was resurrected from death was argued· by a number ofleading early Muslim exegetes, and became an essential view within. the tradition. 3 This shows that, on the one hand, the way the Qur'an addresses the:;~crucifixion/death narrative allows for conflicting interpretations, and, on the otherhand, that what is perceived as the standard position in Islam is favored in somemodem Muslim and non-Muslim circles because it is rooted in Christian-Muslimpoiemics; this position is often used in an attempt to legitimize one's own religionprove the other religion wrong. 4 In this chapter, I offer some reflections on the.. I This paper was presented at The Qur 'lin in Its Historical Context conference, held at the UniversityofNotre Dame (April 19-21, 2009). I want to thank my friend GabrielS. Reynolds for his generousinvitation for me to take part in this conference. An earlier draft was presented at a symposium heldat Middlebury College (January 17-19, 2008), entitled Engaging Passions: The Death of Jesusand Its Legacies; I want to thank my former colleague and friend Oliver Larry Yarbrough for hisgenerous invitation for me to take part in the symposium.2 Gabriel S. Reynolds covers some of the same material in his recent article "The Muslim Jesus:Dead or alive?" BSOAS 72, 2009, 237-58. For examples, see E.E. Elder, "The crucifixion in theKoran," Muslim World 13, 1923, 242-58; H. Michaud, Jesus se/on /e Co ran, Neuchatel: De!achauxet Niestle, 1960, 59-71; G. Parrinder, Jesus in the Qur'an, New York: Oxford University Press,1977, 105-21; M.M. Ayoub, "Towards an Islamic Christology, 2: The death of Jesus- reality orillusion?" The Muslim World 70, 1980, 91-121; G. Rizzardi, II problema della cristologiacoranica, Milano: Istituto Propaganda Libraria, 1982, 141-43; N. Geagea, Mary in the Koran: AMeeting Point between Christianity and Islam, trans. L.T. Fares, New York: Philosophical Library,1984, 107-8; and A. H. Mathias Zahniser, "The forms ofTawaffa in the Qur' an: A contribution toChristian-Muslim dialogue," Muslim World 79, 1989, 14-24.3 See, for example, the discussion inN. Robinson, Christ in Islam and Christianity, Albany: SUNYPress, 1991, 117-26.· 4 I am not arguing here that the Qur'iin is not a polemical text.