Date: 16 Oct 92 06:50:22
Distribution: world
From: Babak Mohajerin <B.MOHAJERIN@qut.edu.au>
Newsgroups: soc.religion.bahai
Organization: <none>
Subject: Bible, Koran and the account of Crucifixtion  - no conflict

In article <1992Oct1.150855.19376@qiclab.scn.rain.com>, 
mj115@eng.cam.ac.uk (M. Jones) writes>

> Where is the unity in God's message over the years then?
......
......
>    e.g. Text
>    ----------
> 1  The New Testament proclaims Jesus' DEATH on the CROSS and his
>    victorious ressurrection.
>
>    Islam speaks of a 'divine substitution' - Jesus was swapped, and
>    never was crucified.
>
> If Bahai's are willing to accept these sorts of major U turns in God's
> manifestations then they presumably also can believe that God might in
> his next manifestation decide to tell us that all this unity stuff was
> not Quite the Point....
>
> Any comments?

Yes. Here I attempt to provide a basis to show that there is no
conflict between the account in the Bible and the Koranic verse in
Surih IV, Women, Verses 152-157.  "they did not kill him, neither
crucified him, only a likeness of that was shown to them"

1) The Islamic experts show no general agreement on this account

1.a) TA-BAREE has referred to the substituted one as one of the disciples of Jesus 
by the name of Sarjoutee; 
1.b)BAY-ZA-VEE calls him a Jew by the name of Tee-ta-tus. SA'L-ABEE refers to 
him as a Jew by the name of Fil-tatus. 
1.c) Some other experts-- including IMAM FAKHR-i RA-ZEE -- refer to him as Judas 
(the traitor) (Tafseer-i Kabeer, Sharh-i Bey-zavee second part p127, 
Sharh-i Tabaree seventh part p10.)

These are the outright leaders in the Schools of Islamic Though and Theology
and fail to come with a uniform or agreeable account of the event.

2) On the other hand there are other scholars who have pictured the event 
in accordance with the Bible:

2.a) IBN VAD'E' AL-YA'GHOUBEE has narrated the story in accordance with the 
synoptic Gospels.
2.b) FAYZ KASHANee interprets the entire account by indicating that although 
the physical part of the Jesus was crucified but His spiritual part remained
unharmed and was not killed.

3) Not only the literal interpretation of 4/155 finds no support in any other
part of the Koran, but there are clear versus indicating the death of everybody
in general (without exception) and that of Jesus in particular, that is Jesus
also died:

{All the Koranic translations are from "The Koran", translated by N.J. Dawood,
Penguin Books, 1968]
3.a) The Prophets [Al' Anbe'ya'] 21/34 (Surah No: 21, Verse No: 34):
No man before you [Mohammad] have we made immortal. If you yourself are
doomed to die, will they live for ever?

3.b) The Hordes [Zo-mar] 39/30 (Surah No: 39, Verse No: 30):
You [Mohammad] as well as they are doomed to die.

3.c)The Prophets [Al' Anbe'ya'] 21/35 & 3/185 & 29/57 :
Every soul shall taste death

3.d) Mary [Mar-yam] 19/33:
I [Jesus] was blessed on the day I was born and blessed I shall be on the
day of my death.

3.e) The Table [Maa'edeh] 5/117:
... and ever since You [God] took me [Jesus] to you

3.f) The Imrans [Ala Em-raan] 3/55:
I [God] am about to cause you [Jesus] to die and lift you up to Me. I shall
take you away from unbelievers.
{last verse is quite striking since "ascension" is superseded by "death"}

4) Islamic Traditions also clearly mention the death of Jesus:
4.a) Book of Ta-ba-ghat from IBNi SA'D Vol 3, from Imam Hassan
4.b) In Mavaheb Ghas-ta-la-nee Vol 1, P 42 from Mohammad
4.c) In Commentary of IBN KASEER Vol 2, p 46 from Mohammad
4.d) In Al-yava-gheet va Al-java-har p 24 from Mohammad

5) From the Bahai Writings:

      The crucifixion as recounted in the New Testament is correct.
      The meaning of the Qur'anic version is that the spirit of Christ
      was not Crucified.  There is no conflict between the two.
      (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an
       individual believer, July 14, 1943, quoted in Lights of
       Guidance, Second edition, p. 491)

0)My personal understanding:
  ^^
Jews attempted to stop the mission of Jesus, they wanted to put an end
to the spread of His glad tidings and His new message. They hoped that
by killing him His cause would cease to continue, His message will be
ignored and soon forgotten. Jews believed in vain that by crucifying
Jesus His teachings will be faded and His followers scattered.
Although they plotted against Him and finally crucified Him, but they
couldn't harm the reality of the Christ and His message was spread
throughout the whole world.  In effect and in reality "they did not
slay him, neither crucified him" Koran 4/155.

> Matt.

Babak Mohajerin,

Queensland University of Technology,
        AUSTRALIA
B.MOHAJERIN@qut.edu.au
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