Question(51):

What is the creed of the Muslims with regard to ‘Eesaa, son of Maryam? Also what is the ruling as to the saying that he was killed and crucified.

Answer:

The belief of the Muslims regarding ‘Eesaa, son of Maryam, may Allaah’s Salaah and Salaam be upon him, is that he is one of the noble Messengers. In fact he is one of the five Messengers foremost in their resolve. They are Muhammad (), Ibraaheem, Moosaa, Noah and ‘Eesaa (may Allaah’s Salaah and Salaam be upon them all). Allaah, The Most High, mentioned them in three places in His Noble Book. So, He Said in soorat al-Ahzaab

Also in sooart ash-Shoora, Allaah Said:

We belieive that ‘Eesaa () is a human from the children of Adam created from a mother without a father, and that he is a slave-worshipper of Allaah and His Messenger. So he is a slave, one who is not to be worshipped, and a Messenger, not to be denied. And that he does not possess any of the qualities of Rubbobiyyah. Rather he is as Allaah has Said:

And that he (may Allaah’s Salaah and Salaam be upon him) did not command his people to appoint him and his mother as gods besides Allaah. In fact, he told that which Allaah has Commanded him with:

And that he, ‘Eesaa () was Created by the Word of Allaah (Be!) as Allaah, The Most High, Says:

And that there is no Prophet between him (‘Eesaa) and Muhammad (), as Allaah, The Most High, Says:

And no one’s faith will be complete until he believes that ‘Eesaa is Allaah’s slave and Messenger, and that he is free  from and high above what the Jews described him with, – they said he was son of a prostitute conceived by way of fornication. We seek refuge in Allaah from this. Allaah, The Most High, cleared him of all of that. Also the Muslims disassociate themselves from the way of the Christians who went astray in their understanding of the reality with regard to ‘Eesaa, son of Maryam, since they have appointed him and his mother as gods besides Allaah. And some of them said: “He is the son of Allaah,” and others said: “Allaah is the third of three (Trinity).”

As far as him (‘Eesaa) being killed and “crucified,” then Allaah, The One free from all imperfection and The Most High, categorically and decisively denied that he was killed or crucified. So He, The Most Mighty and Most Magnificent, Said:

Therefore anyone who believes that ‘Eessa, son of Maryam, may Allaah’s Salaah and Salaam be upon him, was killed and crucifixion then he has denied the Qur’aan. And anyone who denies the Qur’aan is an unbeliever. So we believe that ‘Eessa () was neither killed nor crucified. But we say that the Jews drew on themselves the sin of killing and crucifixion, since they claimed that they killed ‘Eesaa, son of Mary, the Messenger of Allaah, while in reality they killed him not. Rather they killed someone who was put there to resemble him, because Allaah put the resemblance of ‘Eesaa over a man from amongst them, and they killed and crucified that man. And then they said that they killed ‘Eesaa, son of Mary, the Messenger of Allaah. Thus the Jews drew upon themselves the sin of killing and that of crucifixion in their testimony concerning themselves. And as to ‘Eessa, son of Maryam, Allaah, The Most High, cleared him of that, and protected him and raised him up unto Himself in the heavens. And he shall descend to earth at the end of time (before the establishment of the Hour), and he will judge by the Sharee’ah of Muhammad (), then he will die on earth and will be buried in it; then he will be raised (ascend) just like the rest of the children of Aadam, since Allaah, The Most High, Says: