How Did the Life of Prophet Jesus End on Earth?
كيف انتهت حياة نبي الله عيسى عليه السلام على الأرض؟
Allah informed him about the plot against him, so he asked the disciples who would be in his place. One man volunteered to be in his place. So Allah Almighty made that man resemble Jesus pbuh in his looks. And He Almighty lifted Jesus pbuh to Heaven. So when they came to kill him, they killed the man who resembles him thinking it was Jesus pbuh, and they crucified him.
So Jesus pbuh son of Mary, was not killed nor crucified.
When Jesus sensed disbelief from his people, he asked, “Who will stand up with me for Allah?” The disciples replied, “We will stand up for Allah. We believe in Allah, so bear witness that we have submitted.” Al-Imran 3:52
(˹Remember˺ when Allah said, “O Jesus! I will take you and raise you up to Myself. I will deliver you from those who disbelieve, and elevate your followers above the disbelievers until the Day of Judgment. Then to Me you will ˹all˺ return, and I will settle all your disputes.) Al-Imran 3:55
I will take you: Means that I will complete the days you have with your people on earth.
(and for boasting, “We killed the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the messenger of Allah.” But they neither killed nor crucified him - it was only made to appear so. Even those who argue for this ˹crucifixion˺ are in doubt. They have no knowledge whatsoever - only making assumptions. They certainly did not kill him. Rather, Allah raised him up to Himself. And Allah is Almighty, All-Wise.) An-Nisa 4:157-158
أعلم الله تعالى عيسى عليه السلام بالمكيدة ضده. فقال للحواريين من منهم يجلس مكانه، فتطوع أحدهم أن يكون مكان عيسى عليه السلام. فجعل الله الشاب المتطوع يشبه عيسى عليه السلام ورفع الله تعالى عيسى عليه السلام إلى السماء. فلما جاؤوا ليقتلوا عيسى، قتلوا الشاب الذي مكانه لأنه يشبهه وصلبوه.
عيسى عليه السلام لم يقتل ولم يصلب
(فَلَمَّآ أَحَسَّ عِيسَىٰ مِنْهُمُ ٱلْكُفْرَ قَالَ مَنْ أَنصَارِيۤ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ قَالَ ٱلْحَوَارِيُّونَ نَحْنُ أَنْصَارُ ٱللَّهِ آمَنَّا بِٱللَّهِ وَٱشْهَدْ بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ)
آل عمران 3: 52
(إِذْ قَالَ ٱللَّهُ يٰعِيسَىٰ إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيكَ وَرَافِعُكَ إِلَيَّ وَمُطَهِّرُكَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَجَاعِلُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّبَعُوكَ فَوْقَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَامَةِ ثُمَّ إِلَيَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَأَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ فِيمَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ)
آل عمران 3: 55
إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيكَ: أي متمم لك ما بقي من أيام مع قومك.
(وَقَوْلِهِمْ إِنَّا قَتَلْنَا ٱلْمَسِيحَ عِيسَى ٱبْنَ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولَ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَـٰكِن شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ وَإِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱخْتَلَفُواْ فِيهِ لَفِي شَكٍّ مِّنْهُ مَا لَهُمْ بِهِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِلاَّ ٱتِّبَاعَ ٱلظَّنِّ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِيناً. بَل رَّفَعَهُ اللَّـهُ إِلَيْهِ ۚ وَكَانَ اللَّـهُ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًا)
النساء 4: 157-158
1. Categorical Denial of the Crucifixion | النفي القرآني القاطع لصلب المسيح وقتله
The Quran answers the boast "We killed the Messiah" with a plain denial: "But they neither killed nor crucified him" (4:157). The opposing claims of the People of the Book about him are set out in the stance of the People of the Book toward Jesus.
وَقَوْلِهِمْ إِنَّا قَتَلْنَا الْمَسِيحَ عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولَ اللَّـهِ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ (سورة النساء: 157)
حسم القرآن مسألة صلب عيسى بنص صريح لا يحتمل التأويل: "وما قتلوه وما صلبوه"، قاطعاً دابر الشكوك ومؤكداً أن الله حفظ رسوله الكريم وعصمه من أن يُهان على أيدي القتلة.
2. The Casting of the Resemblance (Shubbiha Lahum) | إلقاء الشبه على غيره وتخبط الأعداء
The ayah explains that "another was made to resemble him to them" (shubbiha lahum). Ibn Kathir reports from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), with a chain he calls authentic (4:158), that Jesus asked his companions which of them would take on his likeness and be killed in his place, and a young man among them volunteered; al-Baghawi (4:157) also reports the view that the likeness was cast on the man who led the Jews to him. The man who was seized was taken for Jesus.
وَلَـٰكِن شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ اخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ لَفِي شَكٍّ مِّنْهُ (سورة النساء: 157)
قال تعالى: (وَلَٰكِن شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ). وروى ابن كثير عن ابن عباس، بإسناد قال إنه صحيح إليه (النساء 4: 158)، أن عيسى قال لأصحابه: أيكم يلقى عليه شبهي فيقتل مكاني، فقام شاب منهم فألقي عليه شبه عيسى، وذكر البغوي (النساء 4: 157) قولا آخر: أن الشبه ألقي على الذي دل اليهود عليه. فأخذوا من ظنوه المسيح وهم في شك منه.
3. Raised Alive to Allah (Ar-Raf') | رفعه إلى الله حيًا
Allah says: "Rather, Allah raised him up to Himself" (4:158). Ibn Kathir explains (4:159) that Allah raised him to Himself, that he remains alive, and that he will descend before the Day of Resurrection, as the mutawatir hadiths show.
بَل رَّفَعَهُ اللَّـهُ إِلَيْهِ وَكَانَ اللَّـهُ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًا (سورة النساء: 158)
أخبر الله عن كرامة نبيه فقال: (بل رفعه الله إليه). قال ابن كثير: "ثم إنه رفعه إليه، وإنه باق حي، وإنه سينزل قبل يوم القيامة، كما دلت عليه الأحاديث المتواترة".
4. Purification from the Disbelievers | التطهير الإلهي من رجس الكافرين ومكرهم
In Surah Ali 'Imran, Allah comforted Isa with the divine promise: "I will take you and raise you to Myself and purify you from those who disbelieve." Allah foiled their plan and raised His servant to Himself, and He promised to place his followers above the disbelievers until the Day of Judgment (3:55).
إِذْ قَالَ اللَّـهُ يَا عِيسَىٰ إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيكَ وَرَافِعُكَ إِلَيَّ وَمُطَهِّرُكَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا (سورة آل عمران: 55)
طمأن الله نبيه بالوعد الحق في سورة آل عمران: "إني متوفيك ورافعك إلي ومطهرك من الذين كفروا"، فأحبط الله مكرهم ورفعه إليه، ووعد بأن يجعل الذين اتبعوه فوق الذين كفروا إلى يوم القيامة.
5. The Future Descent and the End of Days | النزول في آخر الزمان لإقامة العدل وشريعة الإسلام
Ibn Kathir states (4:159, 43:61) that the hadiths are mutawatir that Prophet Jesus will descend before the Day of Judgment. The Prophet ﷺ said that the son of Mary will descend as a just judge, break the cross, kill the swine and abolish the jizyah (Sahih al-Bukhari 2222, Sahih Muslim 155). In one narration, "he will lead you, from among you" (Sahih Muslim 155), its narrator Ibn Abi Dhi'b explains this as: he will lead you by the Book of your Lord and the Sunnah of your Prophet. He will remain on earth forty years, then die, and the Muslims will pray over him (Sunan Abi Dawud 4324, graded sahih by al-Albani).
وَإِن مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ إِلَّا لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهِ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ (سورة النساء: 159)
قال ابن كثير: "وقد تواترت الأحاديث عن رسول الله ﷺ أنه أخبر بنزول عيسى عليه السلام قبل يوم القيامة إماما عادلا وحكما مقسطا" (الزخرف 43: 61). ومنها قوله ﷺ: "والذي نفسي بيده ليوشكن أن ينزل فيكم ابن مريم حكما مقسطا، فيكسر الصليب، ويقتل الخنزير، ويضع الجزية" (صحيح البخاري 2222، صحيح مسلم 155)، وفي رواية لمسلم (155): "فأمكم منكم"، فسرها راويها ابن أبي ذئب بقوله: "فأمكم بكتاب ربكم تبارك وتعالى وسنة نبيكم ﷺ"، وفي سنن أبي داود (4324، وصححه الألباني): "فيمكث في الأرض أربعين سنة ثم يتوفى فيصلي عليه المسلمون".
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
Was Jesus crucified according to the Quran?
No, the Quran explicitly states: "They did not kill him, nor did they crucify him" (Surah An-Nisa 4:157).
What happened to Jesus instead of crucifixion?
Allah cast his likeness upon another man who was seized and crucified, while Allah raised Jesus alive to Himself (Surah An-Nisa 4:157-158).
What does "shubbiha lahum" mean in verse 4:157?
It means that the situation was obscured and someone else was made to resemble Jesus, so the enemies mistakenly believed they had crucified him.
Will Prophet Jesus return to earth?
Yes. The Prophet ﷺ said that the son of Mary will descend as a just judge (Sahih al-Bukhari 2222, Sahih Muslim 155), and Ibn Kathir states that these hadiths are mutawatir (43:61).