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4:157 - That they said (in boast) "We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary the Apostle of Allah"; but
they killed him not nor crucified him but so it was made to appear to them and those who differ
therein are full of doubts with no (certain) knowledge but only conjecture to follow for of a
surety they killed him not. 663
663 The end of the life of Jesus on earth is as much involved in mystery as his birth, and indeed the greater part of his
private life, except the three main years of his ministry. It is not profitable to discuss the many doubts and conjectures
among the early Christian sects and among Muslim theologians. The Orthodox Christian Churches make it a cardinal
point of their doctrine that his life was taken on the Cross, that he died and was buried, that on the third day he rose in
the body with his wounds intact, and walked about and conversed, and ate with his disciples, and was afterwards
taken up bodily to heaven. This is necessary for the theological doctrine of blood sacrifice and vicarious atonement for
sins, which is rejected by Islam. But some of the early Christian sects did not believe that Christ was killed on the
Cross. The Basilidans believed that some one else was substituted for him. The Docetae held that Christ never had a
real physical or natural body, but only an apparent or phantom body, and that his Crucifixion was only apparent, not
real. The Marcionite Gospel (about A.D. 138) denied that Jesus was born, and merely said that he appeared in human
form. The Gospel of St. Barnabas supported the theory of substitution on the Cross. The Quranic teaching is that
Christ was not crucified nor killed by the Jews, notwithstanding certain apparent circumstances which produced that
illusion in the minds of some of his enemies: that disputations, doubts, and conjectures on such matters are vain; and
that he was taken up to Allah (see next verse and note). (4.157)
4:158 - Nay Allah raised him up unto Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power Wise. 664
664 There is difference of opinion as to the exact interpretation of this verse. The words are: The Jews did not kill Jesus,
but Allah raised him up (rafa'u) to Himself. One school holds that Jesus did not die the usual human death, but still
lives in the body in heaven, which is the generally accepted Muslim view. (4.158)
4:159 - And there is none of the People of the Book but must believe in him before his death; and
on the Day of Judgment He will be a witness against them. 665666
665 Before his death: Interpreters are not agreed as to the exact meaning. Those who hold that Jesus did not die refer the
pronoun "his" to Jesus. They say that Jesus is still living in the body and that he will appear just before the Final Day,
after the coming of the Mahdi, when the world will be purified of sin and unbelief. There will be a final death before the
final Resurrection, but all will have believed before that final death. Others think that "his" is better referred to "none of
the People of the Book", and that the emphatic form "must believe" (la-yu' minanna) denotes more a question of duty
than of fact. (4.159)
666 Cf. iv. 41 (4.159)
NOT SON OF GOD:
5:17 - In blasphemy indeed are those that say that Allah is Christ the son of Mary. Say: "Who then
hath the least power against Allah if His Will were to destroy Christ the son of Mary his mother
and all everyone that is on the earth? For to Allah belongeth the dominion of the heavens and
the earth and all that is between. He createth what He pleaseth. For Allah hath power over all
things." 717
717 The most honoured of the prophets of Allah are but men. All power belongs to Allah, and not to any man. Allah's
creation may take many forms, but because in any particular form it is different from what we see daily around us, it
does not cease to be Creation, or to be subject to the power of Allah. No creature can be God. (5.17)
5:18 - (Both) the Jews and the Christians say: "We are sons of Allah and His beloved." Say: "Why
then doth He punish you for your sins? Nay ye are but men of the men He hath created: He
forgiveth whom He pleaseth and He punisheth whom He pleaseth: and to Allah belongeth the
dominion of the heavens and the earth and all that is between: and unto Him is the final goal
(of all)." 718719
718 Sons of God: Cf. Job, xxxviii. 7; "When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy." In
the 29th Psalm, 1st verse, the authorised Translation "O ye mighty" should apparently be "O ye sons of Elim". El
being a name of God, Cf. also Genesis, vi. 2: "The sons of God saw the daughters of men." Beloved: Cf. Psalms,
cxxvii, 2: "He giveth his beloved sleep." If used figuratively, these and like words refer to the love of Allah.
Unfortunately, "son" used in a physical sense, or "beloved" in an exclusive sense as if Allah loved only the Jews,
make a mockery of religion. (5.18)
719 This refrain in the last verse negatives the idea of sonship, and in this verse negatives the idea of an exclusive
"Beloved". In both cases it means that Allah is independent of physical relationship or exclusive partiality, (5.18)
5:19 - O people of the Book! now hath come unto you making (things) clear unto you Our Apostle
after the break in (the series of) Our apostles lest ye should say: there came unto us no
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