According to Islam, Jesus Christ, also known as “Isa” in Arabic, meaning “the anointed one”, was never killed in the crucifixion:
4:157 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 [another] was made to resemble him to them. And indeed, those who differ over it are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption. And they did not kill him, for certain.
158 Rather, Allah raised him to Himself. And ever is Allah Exalted in Might and Wise.
Koran 4:157
These verses are very unclear because they fail to reveal the true motive behind the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the modus operandi.
The majority of Islamic scholars believe that it was Allah who made it look like that Jesus was crucified by replacing him with someone who looked similar or exactly like him. Some Islamic scholars believe that Jesus was crucified but he survived the crucifixion, while, others believe that someone other than Allah made it look like Jesus was crucified, but, he was not. Regardless of the different scholarly views on the crucifixion of Jesus, most, if not all Islamic scholars agree that Jesus was not killed.
Interestingly, what Allah has said about the crucifixion of Jesus through Prophet Muhammad, is historically rejected by the majority of Christians and secular historians. It is clear that there are huge moral and logical problems if Jesus was not crucified. Before I discuss these moral and logical problems, I must point out the reality of Islamic claims, especially related to the Christians and the Westerners. By purporting that Jesus was never crucified, everything that the Westerners and the Christians have known and believed about their own history was a lie. Christians were also falsely inspired to create the Western civilization that we know of today. The Islamic depiction of crucifixion unintentionally (or intentionally?) belittles Christians and their historical accomplishments by taking away the source of their beliefs and inspiration altogether.
It is clear that Allah has engaged in deception when he fooled the Jews and the Romans into thinking that they killed Jesus. Of course, Christians were also victims of Allah’s trickery. According to the Cambridge dictionary, the word “deception” means:
the act of hiding the truth, especially to get an advantage
Deception in Cambridge Dictionary
In Koran 4:157, it is certainly clear that Allah has definitely hidden the truth (Jesus was not killed in the crucifixion) from the Jews, the Romans, and the Christians to get an advantage, which is to save his mightiest prophet, Jesus, and send him to heaven without being killed. Even if Allah did not fool these people, as the Cambridge dictionary states, Allah still unintentionally (intentionally?) engaged in deception because he hid the truth of Jesus’ execution from everyone else.
Although one can argue that the actions of Allah, a divine being, should not be judged by human standards, but Allah’s deception regarding Jesus’ crucifixion is still inherently immoral in nature. A rational and objective individual can understand why Allah would hide the truth of Jesus’ crucifixion from the Jews and the Romans as they rejected him as a Prophet and wanted to kill him, but there is no reason to hide this truth from the Christians. Indeed, Christians, during the time of Jesus’ crucifixion did not deserve to be lied to because they accepted and followed Jesus. It is also important to note that this revelation occurred 600 years after Jesus’ crucifixion. Has Allah been deceiving everyone especially the Christians for 600 years? Yes! How is this moral in any possible way? Moreover, Christians built their religion and theology after his death, so Allah has deliberately manipulated Christians into believing that Jesus died for the sins of humanity and his death created a path to salvation. Specifically, the death of Jesus Christ became the foundation of Christians’ Trinitarian belief, the notion that God is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, three different persons but are all together as one god. By associating God with the Son and the Holy Spirit, Islam claims that Christians committed shirk, an Arabic term for idolatry, which is one of the worst sins a person could commit. So, Allah has purposefully tricked Christians into committing shirk.
After Allah manipulated the Christians, what did he do? See, what Allah does through the following verses from the Koran. Allah initially commanded Prophet Muhammad to:
Fight those who do not believe in Allah or in the Last Day and who do not consider unlawful what Allah and His Messenger have made unlawful and who do not adopt the religion of truth from those who were given the Scripture – [fight] until they give the jizyah willingly while they are humbled.
Koran 9:29
O Prophet, fight against the disbelievers and the hypocrites and be harsh upon them. And their refuge is Hell, and wretched is the destination.
Koran 9:73
Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; and those with him are forceful against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves.
Koran 48:29
Indeed, they who disbelieved among the People of the Scripture and the polytheists will be in the fire of Hell, abiding eternally therein. Those are the worst of creatures.
Koran 98:6
Other than these verses from the Koran, according to Sahih Muslim 1767 a, which the majority of Islamic scholars believe to be the most authentic out of all hadith, there is:
I will expel the Jews and Christians from the Arabian Peninsula and will not leave any but Muslim.
Sahih Muslim 1767 a
It is also important to note that Allah allowed the Christians to believe that Jesus died and associated him with Jesus and the Holy Spirit for 600 years. If Allah is just and honest, why would God mislead Christians to commit shirk and make them believe that Jesus has died for their sins for 600 years? Why does Allah get angry for Christians for believing in the lie he has created?
Other than the moral problems of Allah’s deception, the Islamic recounts of Jesus’ crucifixion are logically problematic. Out of many persons to reveal the truth that Jesus did not die in the crucifixion, instead he revealed to an Arab, who is completely unrelated to the Jews and Christians. Allah could also have revealed the truth to people that were closely related to Jesus, but he did not. Most importantly, why did Allah take 600 years to reveal that Jesus never died in the first place?
Overall, what Allah has done is without any doubt an evil and illogical act. Allah has deceived innocent people, then punished them by killing, violently subjugating, forcing them to pay high taxes, treating them as second class citizens, and beating them till they submit only for being fooled by him. Quite evidently, revealing the truth to someone unrelated to Jesus 600 years after the crucifixion does not befit logic.
Author: Jun Kim, 6/April/2020.
Koran Contradiction 