E.3 Errors about Crucifixion
As regards the crucifixion, the Qur’an does not reproduce a popular mistake. The Qur’an specifically points out what the Jews said viz., that they crucified and killed Christ. The passage then says that it was made to appear like that to them, but that was an incorrect impression or illusion given to them and that they had no real knowledge of what actually happened but instead followed only a certain conjecture. The passage ends with an empathic reiteration that “they did not kill him for certain.”
Even though the orientalists say that the rejection of crucifixion in the Qur’an is an error, it may be noted that even some of the early Christian sects did not believe that Jesus died on the cross. Thus the Basilidans thought that someone else was substituted for him on the cross.
The Qur’an categorically asserts the truth and positively contradicts the Jews’ assertion that they had killed Jesus. In fact the Qur’anic statement is directed against the Jews as well as Christians. It contradicts the assertion of the Jews that they have killed Jesus and that therefore he was not a Prophet because he suffered what is called an “accursed death.” Similarly, it rejects the Christian doctrine of the divinity of Jesus and that of “vicarious atonement” and its basis, the concept of “blood sacrifice.”
The Qur’an emphatically states that the Jews did not kill Jesus. This is found in the Bible as well, and can be gleaned by any Christian if he really desires to seek the truth. There are statements in different Gospels, which strongly agree with the Qur’anic verdict that “they killed him not for certain”. In fact, these statements clearly suggest that Jesus avoided being discovered by his enemies and therefore escaped death on the cross.
Additionally, some of the recent researches confirm that Jesus did not suffer death on the cross.
Barbara Thiering, an Australian scholar, has demonstrated convincingly, on a meticulous analysis of the Dead Sea Scrolls that Jesus did not die on the cross.
Two European scholars, Holger Kersten and Elmer E Gruber, have assiduously pursued the story of radiocarbon test carried out on the famous “Turin Shroud” and have shown that Jesus did not die on the cross and that the “Turin Shroud” was a hoax.
E.4 Uzair is a Son of God
Old Testament was given its present form by Uzair, and some Jews in Madinah at the time considered Uzair as a son of God. This verse was read in front of them many times and none of them came forward to object to it. According to Qurtubi the Jewish sect that considered Uzair as the Son of God had become extinct by his time, probably due to influence of Qur’anic teachings. The Qur’an simply points out that these beliefs are errors and specifies the mistakes in adhering to these faults.