Does the Qurʾān deny or assert Jesus’s crucifi xion and death? (2012)

The issue of Jesus’s crucifi xion and death in the Qurʾān has been extensively examined in modern scholarship, primarily by scholars concerned with religious dialogue 
or polemics. 2 One reason for this interest is the perception that the Qurʾān refutes the 
crucifi xion 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 foundational 
doctrine of the Christian faith. Yet although Muslim scholars have overwhelmingly 
rejected the crucifi xion 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 of leading early Muslim exegetes, and became an essential view within 
the tradition. 3 This shows that, on the one hand, the way the Qurʾān addresses the 
crucifi xion/death narrative allows for confl icting interpretations, and, on the other 
hand, that what is perceived as the standard position in Islam is favored in some 
modern Muslim and non-Muslim circles because it is rooted in Christian-Muslim 
polemics; this position is often used in an attempt to legitimize one’s own religion 
or prove the other religion wrong. 4 In this chapter, I offer some refl ections on theIt is well known that the Qurʾān is a very complicated text in terms of its 
language, a fact attested by the degree of disagreement among exegetes as to the 
proper interpretation of most of its verses. At times the ambiguity of the language 
has left the exegete utterly helpless, as when the notorious Egyptian Islamic fundamentalist Sayyid Qutb (d. 1966) addresses the death and resurrection of Jesus:As for how his death occurred and how he was raised to Paradise, these are 
incomprehensible issues; they pertain to the category of the ambiguous 
Qurʾānic verses whose proper meaning is known only to God. There is no 
benefi t from pursuing them, be it for dogmatic or legal purposes. Those who 
pursue them and turn them into a controversy end up in hypocrisy, confusion 
and complication, without ever getting to the absolute truth or satisfaction 
about something that should after all be deferred to God’s knowledge. 6Qutb adds in another instance that “the Qurʾan does not offer details regarding the 
raising up” of Jesus, “whether it occurred in body and soul while still alive, or 
only in soul after his death.” 7 He also comments that “God brought upon Jesus’ 
death, and then lifted him up to Himself; some say that he is alive with God, 
which, as I see, should not be a cause of confusion, for God could have brought 
death upon him in earthly life, but he is alive with God, like the martyrs who die 
on earth but are alive with God. As for their way of life with Him, we have no 
knowledge about it, and likewise the way of life of Jesus.” 8It is clear that the complexity of the Qurʾānic language and syntax, as well as 
the theological implications of taking sides in this debate, given the diversity of 
Muslim opinions on the issue, convinced Qutb to caution the Muslims against 
making any speculations about the details of Jesus’s death. He makes these 
comments in connection with verses 3:55, 4:157-58, and 5:117:Remember when God said: “O Jesus, I shall cause you to die ( mutawaffīka ) 
and make you ascend to Me. I shall purify you from those who blasphemed . . .” (Q 3:55).